When Life Takes Flight
by flightshep
Summary: It's been seven years since the fall of Cocoon and two years since Fang and Vanille awoke from their five year crystal sleep. Join the group of former l'Cie in their daily life adventures. Established FLight, on-going.
1. Triple Date

"Tell me again why we agreed to this Fang" Lightning said as she emerged from her closet for the seventh time that evening. Fang sat on their bed watching her girlfriend scowl at herself in the full length mirror in amusement. Lightning looked positively gorgeous in her knee-length black dress.

"If I recall correctly love, you agreed to this _first_, remember? Serah did her puppy eyes thing and Vanille turned on the waterworks. Never thought I'd see you cave in so quickly, maybe I should ask them for tips." Fang smirked when Lightning froze in the mirror. Lightning had a hard enough time saying no to Fang when she did an amateur version of Serah's puppy eyes but a weeping Fang? She shook her head to rid her mind of the disturbing image.

"You look beautiful by the way Light – as a matter of fact, you look beautiful in anything _and_ nothing at all, Sunshine."

Lightning ignored that last comment and sent Fang a quick glance. "I suppose this one will do then." Lightning walked over to the bed and Fang tugged her down where she ended up resting her head on Fang's stomach while Fang ran her fingers through Lightning's hair.

"How'd you get ready so quickly?" Lightning asked as she took in Fang's lithe form in the dark blue dress that reminded her of Fang's sari. Serah and Vanille had taken the courtesy to go on an all out shopping spree for their sisters and had stocked Fang and Lightning's shared closet full to the brim. Finding her uniform in the morning was a harder task than finding Vanille in a pool filled with hyperactive children.

"I just put on the first thing I saw… why? Does it look bad?"

Lightning lifted her head and gave Fang an apologetic smile. "Fang, that's not what I meant. You're beautiful." Lightning ran her hand through Fang's wild hair. Fang gave a grin that told Lightning she had walked right into a carefully worded trap.

The front door opened and the couple could hear a pair of footsteps cross the living room floor and stop at the base of the stairs. There was some giggling and what sounded like a scuffle. Fang and Lightning looked at each other. Were their sisters playing _rock paper scissors_? Vanille's triumphant yell followed by Serah's groan earned a chuckle from Fang. Serah's light footsteps slowly approached their open bedroom door and the older couple was greeted with the sight of Serah waving one arm blindly in front of her searching for the door that was currently open and covering her eyes with the other.

Lightning's eyebrow hitched up in amusement. "Serah, we're decent so you're safe for now." She chuckled as Serah froze in embarrassment.

"Just making sure, sis. Snow and Hope are waiting in the car, let's go!" Serah gave one last wry smile before heading back downstairs towards a giggling Vanille.

"Let's get this night over with." Lightning picked herself up off the bed tugging Fang up with her.

"Right behind ya, love."

The four climbed into the back of Snow's SUV. Hope turned in the passenger seat and greeted Fang and Lightning. Hope looked classy as always in his tux but Snow looked odd – not bad per say – just _off_.

"Sazh just called, says he's already there." Snow said from the driver's seat. He glanced at the clock which told them they would be early and shrugged. "You know what they say right? The old bird gets the worm."

Serah chuckled from the back seat when Lightning gave her a look that said _really?_

"No Snow it's the _early_ bird gets the worm! And don't let Sazh hear you say that."

"Just drive Snow." Lightning said. The sooner they arrived, the earlier they would be allowed to leave.

"Can't wait to dance with me huh, Lightbug?" Fang teased.

"You're gonna have to get in line Fang. I've already been asked by just about every person on the base." Lightning's face twisted into a scowl.

"SNOW STOP THE CAR!" Fang yelled. Snow slammed on the brakes which caused everyone to jerk and stare at Fang in disbelief.

"Fang! Where are you going?!" Fang was struggling to get the door open.

"To get Kain's Lance."

* * *

Lightning could barely recognize the Guardian Corps base. It looked more like a grand hotel hosting those awards shows Serah and Vanille were always watching than a military base. The GC held a banquet once a year in honour of the former l'Cie and everyone was invited. Lightning would normally stop by in all her stoic glory and regulation GC uniform with a sexy Fang linked to her by the waist, say a few hellos and thanks and then leave, but this year Serah and Vanille had convinced her to actually stay and _be_ a part of the celebration and of course that included wearing a dress.

Captain Amodar spotted the former l'Cie and made his way over to greet his favourite group of people.

"Lightning! I assume you're going to stay for more than just a few drinks this time?" He asked happily as he took in Lightning's dress. He decided not to comment on it seeing as the soldier looked slightly uncomfortable wearing something other than her usual uniform.

"Captain Amodar, sir." Lightning saluted formally.

Amodar let out a hefty sigh and pulled Lightning into a playful headlock and ruffled her hair. "Formal girl, this one." He grinned at the rest of the group who nodded in agreement. He noticed Fang didn't have on her usual cheerful demeanor and glanced down at Lightning.

"Don't mind her, she's just upset she's not allowed to spear any of my courters." Lightning explained.

"Ah." Amodar nodded in understanding although it seemed like his Commander wouldn't mind all that much if Fang really did spear anyone who would ask her to dance.

The group talked for a few minutes before the DJ arrived and music started blasting. "It was nice seeing you again Amodar!" Serah grabbed Snow's hand and led him towards the dance floor. "Let's dance snow!"

Vanille looked to Hope who grabbed her hand and motioned towards Snow. "Shall we?"

Vanille giggled and turned to the rest of the group. "Catch ya guys later!"

Fang shook her head and smiled at the sight of Serah and Snow dancing. Snow was _much_ taller than Serah so she wasn't able to place her arms on his shoulders and settled for his waist instead. It was a good thing that Hope had his growth spurt while they were in crystal stasis because if Fang could recall correctly, Vanille was taller than him during their l'Cie days. She was also five years older than him but spending five years in stasis had put them at the same age meaning Fang was now five years younger than Lightning even though the other woman hadn't looked a second older when Fang was finally freed from her crystal prison. Fang would often tease Lightning about being a cougar but that all ended when Lightning pointed out that Fang technically has to add 505 years to her "age" and that pretty much made her a pedophile.

"I'm gonna go look for Sazh, give you two some time to catch up. It was nice to see you again Amodar, talk Sunshine over here out of working herself to death for me will ya?" Fang gave Lightning her signature smirk and headed off towards Sazh and Dajh who was talking to Bartholomew near the bar.

"Will do Fang!" Amodar called after her and looked back at his slightly ruffled Commander. "So how've you been Lightning? I haven't seen you since they shuttled me off to New Bodhum." Lightning had been the best choice however she absolutely refused to leave Oerba. It was where she felt the most connected to Fang, and Serah had been adamant about not building a house at the base of the crystal pillar so she and Hope spent the better part of five years rebuilding the city so Fang and Vanille would have a home to return to when they woke up.

Lightning looked towards the dancing couples on the dance floor with the new addition of Fang and Sazh. Hope and Vanille were trying not to step on each other's toes, Serah was having the time of her life being whirled around by Snow and Fang was manhandling Sazh in very much the same way Snow was Serah. Amodar followed her gaze and smiled softly. Lightning and her friends deserved this happiness, every last ounce of it for what they did.

"As you can already see sir, there's never a dull moment." Lightning grinned.

* * *

Serah eyed Vanille and Hope from the opposite side of the dance floor. "Snow! Can you do me a favour?" she yelled over the loud music. Snow leaned down and Serah whispered something into his ear. With a grin, he nodded and walked over to Hope.

"Hey! Mind if I cut in?"

Hope looked incredulously at Snow and back to Vanille who smiled. He shrugged and walked off towards Serah. "Hey Serah, Snow ugh… kinda stole Vanille so you wanna dance?" he offered his hand.

"Sure Hope." Serah took his hand and the two started swaying to the beat of the music. "You said you wanted to talk to me earlier?"

"Yeah… it's about Vanille." He said nervously. Serah hitched an eyebrow.

"What about her? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong it just that I love Vanille…" Hope trailed off not really sure what to say next.

"And… ?"

"_And_ I want to spend the rest of my life with her." He finished.

Serah's eyes widened in surprise.

"Hope are you going to–"

"Serah, you're Vanille's best friend. I need your help – and I guess your approval." Hope said gently.

"Isn't Fang the person you should be asking for that last part? And of course I'll help, Hope!" Serah's shock was replaced with an excitement that could only be rivaled by how she felt when Snow had proposed to her.

"I'm not sure how she'll react, I mean when she found out Vanille and I were dating I had to hide on Cocoon for four days." Hope said nervously.

"It'll be fine Hope, she'd much rather Vanille be with you than Gadot." Serah chuckled.

"Does she still think that Vanille was seriously considering Gadot? She was only jo–"

"Yes, yes I know Hope, we all do but it wouldn't hurt to leave Fang out of the loop until _after_ the wedding is over, no?"

"Yeah, I guess not." Hope grinned.

* * *

Vanille was having a blast dancing with Snow. Hope was stronger than he looked but her feet had barely touched the floor since she started dancing with Snow.

"Did Serah send you over here?" Vanille glanced towards her best friend who was currently bouncing up and down gleefully while her boyfriend stood there grinning. Knowing Serah, she probably intended to give Hope the same lecture Lightning gave Snow when Serah had moved out, only without the threats. On second thought, maybe not. Even Lightning feared Serah sometimes, she just won't admit it. _Farrons_.

"Nooo…." Snow tried to sound convincing but failed miserably.

Vanille gave Snow a disbelieving look. Whatever Serah and Hope were talking about, they had better finish up quick because she was starting to feel dizzy and wanted her conservative boyfriend back.

"Hey kid, long time no see!"

"Sazh!" Vanille ran happily towards her older friend and embraced him in a hug, and smiled at Fang who patted her head and headed in Snow's direction. Sazh was like a father figure to her and the others but he wasn't around much except during the holidays because of his job as a pilot shuttling people to and from Cocoon. Most Cocoonians had chosen to start new lives on Gran Pulse but some chose to stay behind.

"And then there were two." Fang grinned.

Snow returned Fang's grin with his own and held out his hand. "Let's dance!"

The bulk of the town had arrived by then so for the next hour the former l'Cie found themselves surrounded by a sea of adoring fans. It wasn't until Amodar and some other GC soldiers put their crowd control skills into good use was Fang able to make her way over to Lightning.

"Hey there beautiful. Care to dance?" Fang offered her hand with a smile. Lightning gave her a curious look and Fang's expression fell slightly. _Playing hard to get eh, Sunshine?_

"Claire Farron, I am asking you to dance with me." She tried again.

"I can't Fang."

This time Fang's face fell completely. She didn't know how to respond to that so she held Lightning's gaze until she noticed the corner of her girlfriend's lips tilt up in a smirk. Lightning found pouty Fang adorable.

"There's no music, Fang." Lightning let out a fully fledged smile now and earned an equivalent one from Fang.

As if on cue, a slow song started playing and the two embraced in a dance to _I Was Lost Without You_. It was Serah's favourite song and secretly, it was also Lightning's.

Lightning's cheeks mimicked her hair colour as the crowd surrounding them erupted into a chorus of _aaawe_'s and Fang broke their embrace to wrap her arms around Lightning's waist. They looked into each other's eyes and the world around them immediately faded until they were the only ones left. Fang's lips closed the distance between them and Lightning felt like every cell in her body was on fire. Their kiss was fierce yet gentle at the same time as their tongues battled for dominance. The two didn't notice the music fade out and the increasing murmuring of the crowd until the sound of Vanille screaming bloody murder rang through their ears.

They quickly broke apart and tore their way through the crowd in the direction they last saw Vanille to find her with tears running down her face. Lightning saw Fang make a reaching motion for her lance – which thank Etro was still at home – out of habit and noticed that her hand had also reached for a certain gunblade that also wasn't there. They were ready to stab multiple holes into whatever or whomever had caused Vanille to cry, with or without their weapons, until they noticed Hope down on one knee holding one _very_ shiny ring in one hand and Vanille's hand in the other.

"It's about time." Lightning said with a smirk. The crowd shifted their gaze towards Fang who slowly made her way over to Vanille and took her free hand.

"Van?"

"I'm saying yes, Fang. I love Hope, and I want to be with him." Vanille said with a tear stained smile. Fang smiled looked over her shoulder at Lightning.

"Hell yeah it's about time!" she yelled and the crowd erupted into cheers. It seemed that only Hope heard what Fang said next.

"Start running kid."

* * *

**AN: Can anyone guess the movie reference when Fang asked Lightning to dance?**


	2. The Bachelorette

Lightning set her bag beside her as she sat down on the couch waiting for Fang to come downstairs.

"They wouldn't be _that_ upset if we didn't come, I mean they probably wouldn't even notice." Lightning tried to convince herself. The women were supposed to stay in Nautilus for the weekend for Vanille's bachelorette party, idea courtesy of Lebreau. When the boys had heard, they decided to tag along and have a bachelor party for Hope too. The two groups would leave at different times, board different flights and stay in different hotels. Lebreau was very adamant about staying true to the whole _what happens in Nautilus stays in Nautilus_ rule so Hope and Snow were to stay away from Serah and Vanille should compromising situations arise – which was always bound to happen when Lebreau was involved.

Lightning raised her eyebrow when she received intense mumbling in response. Fang appeared around the corner dragging their luggage and two overnight bags, one of which was held in her mouth, which explained the mumbling. Lightning chuckled. Fang knew perfectly well her girlfriend was capable of carrying her own stuff but was too chivalrous for her own good.

"Well considering there are only five of us, no I don't think they would notice if two were a no show." Fang said sarcastically as she stretched her jaw. She sat down on the couch and put her arm around Lightning's shoulder with a knowing smile. "Vanille would be devastated if we didn't come and Lebreau would have our heads ya know." Lightning rolled her eyes.

Of course Lightning knew. Fang might as well be Vanille's blood sister and after all these years, Lightning was practically her sister too. Lightning used to find Vanille annoying but she found herself missing the optimistic redhead's overly cheerful disposition whenever she wasn't around. This was Vanille's special night and Lightning wasn't about to let her hatred of obnoxiously loud crowded areas stop her from making Vanille happy, but it was worth a shot anyway.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Lightning stood and pulled Fang up with her. "Let's go."

Lightning and Fang met Vanille, Serah and Lebreau at the airport. Vanille and Serah travelled light and only brought one overnight bag each while Lebreau seemed to have packed the local mall into a suitcase. Once they boarded the plane, Lightning and Fang caught up on some sleep while their sisters and Lebreau watched some romantic comedy. Fang hated those. The kind of stuff that happens in those movies just _does not happen_. They arrived in Nautilus after a two hour flight. Lightning and Fang had paid for the tickets as well as the hotel as one of their wedding gifts to Vanille. Paying three thousand gil per person for first class seemed a bit over the top but the last time Fang was on a flight with screaming children kicking her chair from behind, Lightning had to use her Commander status to convince the air marshal that Fang was _not_ a maniacal terrorist.

There was a cab waiting for them when they got off the plane and they checked into their hotel room a half hour later. Their room was on the very top floor and overlooked all of Nautilus. It had two queen sized beds, a bathroom and a balcony. Fang and Lightning claimed one bed leaving Lebreau, Serah and Vanille to share the second. By the time they were all settled and comfortable in their pajamas, it was 8 o'clock.

"I wonder what the boys are up to." Serah said to Vanille in particular.

"Nuh uh uh" Lebreau wagged her finger. "No boys this weekend, remember? Well, at least not _your_ boys."

Lightning laughed. Obviously Lebreau would be more than happy to get away from Gadot, Maqui and Yuj for a weekend and Lightning had Fang with her but she could understand how foreign it would be for Serah and Vanille to be away from Snow and Hope for a few days.

"Okay fine. No boys – wait what?" Serah's face went as red as Vanille's hair. "Lebreau… you didn't order strippers did you?" Fang laughed out loud as Lightning and started to resemble the tomato she called a sister.

"Why not? The boys got strippers why can't we?" Lebreau pouted.

"THE BOYS GOT WHAT?!" Vanille screamed.

"Van, it's a _bachelor party_ it's what they do! And Breau how do you know they got strippers?" Fang smirked at the horrified look on her sister's face.

"Oh, when the boys heard I had our weekend planned out, they asked me to plan theirs out too. I booked their flights, hotel and their strippers, but the thing is they kinda don't know about the stripper part – it's a surprise. They're staying at the hotel across the street." She pointed out the window.

Vanille huffed at Fang. "That's easy for you and Lightning to say, you don't have to spend the weekend apart and worry about the other ogling a stranger of the opposite sex!"

"Ogling is ogling whether you're the same sex or not, Van. Fang is away for work a lot and she could easily ogle another woman while we're apart. The same could be said for me. If Hope loves you – which he does, then you've got nothing to worry about." Fang smiled at her girlfriend as Lightning tried to reassure Vanille.

"That's a bit close. What if we run into each other?" Serah asked once she recovered from the bit about the strippers. She didn't mind Snow having a bit of fun, she knew he loved her. More importantly she knew that _he_ knew Lightning would kill him if he ever cheated on her.

"That's not gonna happen. They're spending the night out today while we enjoy ourselves in here and tomorrow's when we go out and they stay holed up with their surprise strippers. There's a beach not far from here so we'll go there in the morning and then hit the casinos at night." She said casually.

"Lebreau…" Lightning gave her a pointed look and motioned her chin towards the mortified Serah and Vanille.

"Relax, they're strippers not prostitutes. Y'know, you can look but you can't touch sorta thing? Just trust me it'll be funny." Lightning face-palmed.

"So what are we doing tonight?" she asked trying to change the subject before Serah and Vanille ran across the street and handcuffed themselves to their husband and soon-to-be-husband.

"Well I was thinking we could play a few games but we should have a few drinks first."

"Look at these prices! Breau they charge three times as much as you do!" Fang set down their menu for room service looking a bit miffed. She wasn't exactly cheap but paying 35 gil for a margarita seemed a tad much. It was a good thing her job and Lightning's Commander salary combined paid more than they knew what to do with.

"Oh, we're not ordering room service." Lebreau dragged her suitcase over and opened it. Fang's jaw dropped. It would indeed be safe to say that Lebreau had brought her bar with her. In the suitcase would have to be enough liquor to knock a behemoth out.

"How did you even get that on the airplane?" Lightning asked. She didn't recall anyone checking their baggage in.

"Well, _I_ didn't carry it on the plane, _Commander Farron_ did." Lebreau winked.

"You used my name and Commander status to smuggle alcohol?!" Lightning didn't know if she should be angry or proud of her friend. Lebreau simply shrugged and Lightning rolled her eyes.

"Anyways… what games did you have in mind Breau?" Vanille asked.

"Let's start with a drinking game. You guys ever played 'never have I ever'?"

"What's that?" Fang asked. Vanille giggled at her sister.

"You're so old, Fang. Its where one person says 'never have I ever' followed by some action they've never done before and if anyone has done it, then they have to drink." Lightning gave Vanille an impressed look. Working part time at the bar with Lebreau has made Vanille very much Cocoonian. Sometimes Fang would joke about how Vanille was supposed to be born on Cocoon and Lightning on Gran Pulse but Etro had one drink too many and screwed up.

"Okay then, who should start?" Fang sat cuddled up to Lightning on their bed while Serah and Vanille lay on the bed and Lebreau occupied the couch after handing everyone their drinks. "And hey! I am _not _old!" she pouted.

"The bride should start." Serah laughed then smiled at Vanille.

"Okay." Vanille took a few seconds to think before an evil smile crossed her features. "Never have I ever received a noise complaint from the neighbours." Serah was confused by the strange statement until she noticed Lightning glaring at Fang looking fairly red faced.

"You _told_ her?!" Fang just grinned and took a sip, lifting Lightning's bottle to her mouth too.

"Actually, Hope was the one called to the scene and I saw the paperwork on the table in the morning." Vanille laughed.

"Didn't know you were a screamer Light." Lebreau chuckled.

"I'm surprised you didn't take a sip too Breau." Lightning teased. "And hey! What makes you think I was the one screaming?" she asked slightly offended. Everyone gave her a knowing look and she pouted. It wasn't exactly like she can prove otherwise to their sisters and Lebreau that she was on top just as much. Actually, if it came down to it, Lightning would rather sleep with Fang in front of Serah and Vanille than Lebreau, it's not like they haven't walked in on her and Fang enough times. And besides, Lebreau was a starving sexual predator.

"My turn! Never have I ever… had sex in a forest." Sera's expression was filled with mirth when she looked up at her sister. Lightning and Fang took a sip and returned Serah's grin with a glare while Lebreau and Vanille doubled over laughing. It looked like Lightning and Fang were their own team now.

"Never have I ever been mistaken for Hope's mother!" Fang yelled out of nowhere.

"FANG!" Vanille was flabbergasted.

"Sorry Van, can't have you targeting Sunshine and I without receiving any repercussions, now take a sip." Fang smirked.

Vanille frowned and took a sip. "The lady was practically blind!" Vanille had been shopping with Hope when some random lady walked up to her and asked if her son could try on a shirt because her son was around the same size. Hope had to pick up his fiancé and run before the woman he would marry ended up with a criminal record.

"My turn. Never have I ever been trapped under a man for seven hours." Lightning tried not to burst out laughing at the disbelieving look on Serah's face.

"Sis!" Lightning didn't look sorry at all. "It's not Snow's fault he rolls in his sleep." Lebreau laughed so hard she fell off the couch.

"Careful who you laugh at Lebreau, you might be next." Serah's face twisted after taking her sip. What was this stuff? Lebreau immediately stopped laughing and joined Serah and Vanille on the bed. If this means war, she should join a party before she had two angry teams going after her.

"I guess it's my turn now? Never have I ever had sex in a bar." Lebreau immediately regretted saying that when Lightning took a sip and gave her a look that said _you're gonna get it._

Fang wiped her mouth after taking her sip. "That was pretty funny wasn't it Lightbug?"

"You're lucky I didn't make you pay for damages, y'know 'cause we're _friends_ and all." She looked at Lightning pleadingly when she said _friends_. Nope. She was still gonna get it.

"I can't think of anything…" Vanille said.

"Oh! I got one for you Van!" Lebreau smiled sadistically at Fang and Lightning. If she was gonna get what's coming to her then she might as well have some fun with it.

"Ok then Breau you can have my turn."

"Never have I ever kissed a girl!" she laughed when Fang and Lightning rolled their eyes and took another sip. She got two mouthfuls of liquor to her face when Lightning and Fang spat out their drinks.

"What the hell was that for?!" Lebreau asked after she wiped her face off with a pillow. Then she noticed Serah and Vanille finishing their sips and her jaw joined Fang and Lightning's on the floor. Noticing three pairs of eyes on them, Serah and Vanille gave each other nervous looks.

"Well… I met Vanille on the beach," Serah started.

"And I had just fell and scraped my knee…" Vanille finished as if it would explain anything.

"So you whored yourself for a bandage?!" Fang yelled. Lightning raised an eyebrow at Fang who just finished off her bottle.

"No I did _not_ whore myself for a bandage! Serah's my best friend! Lebreau treated us to a few drinks and we were buzzed that's all! Why does this bother you so much anyway?" Lebreau tried to merge with the bed and sink into the realm of invisibility at the mention of her name. Lightning looked back at Fang.

"It doesn't bother me I'm just surprised is all. Y'know, it's not too late to call it off with Hope and marry Serah instead… Lightning wouldn't mind that much if Serah left the oaf." Serah choked mid-drink at the disturbing seriousness in Fang's voice. Forget one sip, she needed another bottle.

"I am _not_ leaving Snow, Fang" Serah replied though the statement was meant more for Lightning who was looking too smug for her liking.

"Let's play a different game now." Vanille suggested before her bachelorette party turned into a crime scene for Lebreau's murder.

"Fine, but Lebreau has to take her sip first." Serah said.

"What? Why?" she threw the pillow off her face and sat up.

"Really Breau? You? Have never kissed a girl? You would kiss anything with two legs." Vanille laughed.

"Fine, but that depends… does a hermaphrodite count?"

Lebreau got four mouthfuls of alcohol to the face this time.

* * *

Lebreau stepped out of the shower just as knocking sounded on the door. The others looked up from their poker game on the bed as three provocatively dressed male firefighters walked through the door.

"Aha! Full house! Now hand those chips over ladi–" Vanille's jaw dropped as she registered the shirtless firefighter standing in front of her. "Hullo…"

"Vanille, Serah, these lovely men are my present to you!" Lebreau said walking over with her own male firefighter attached to her waist. "Enjoy!"

"Hey ladies… so where's the fire?"

"Hey! Get off of he–" Before Lightning could gun down the man straddling Serah, she was grabbed by the shoulders by her girlfriend who leapt off the bed and stood with her arms spread protectively.

"No! No way in bloody hell are you – just no!" Fang warned.

Lightning peeked to the side from behind Fang's back to see two half naked female cops inching closer to Fang who was inching back until she fell on the bed beside Lightning.

"Those two are yours! And no spearing or gunning down your presents!" Lebreau said from the couch as she pulled her firefighter down for a lap dance. Serah had forced Lightning to leave her gunblade back in New Oerba and Vanille had made Fang leave Kain's Lance, both with the threat of tears. Lightning and Fang inched backwards on the bed on their elbows as the strippers took it as playing hard to get and climbed on and straddled their hips. Lightning sat up and tried to push the other stripper off of her girlfriend while Fang tried to do the same with hers. Their screams and threats went unheard through the loud music.

"Lightning, if I don't make it out of this alive, just know that I love you!" Fang said before she fell over the edge of the bed. Her personal stripper soon followed after.

"Fang, nooo!" Lightning recovered her strength and ducked out from under her lap dance. She dove head first over the bed and pried the stripper off of Fang who was turning more blue with each passing second.

"Fang, I've got you, snap out of it!" Lightning lifted her girlfriend off the floor and they both made a run for the door supporting each other with one arm. They passed Vanille and Serah who were actually _enjoying_ their stripteases and into the elevator. Lightning rapidly pressed every button on the elevator panel while fang practically destroyed the 'door close' button with her finger. They both shared a thought as they recovered their breaths.

Lebreau was _so_ going to pay.


	3. The Morning After

Hope loved to cuddle with Vanille. He loved leaning in to whisper caring words into her ear and inhale the sweet scent of vanilla he can't seem to ever get enough of. Everything about Vanille made her a very cuddly person; her lightly toned abdomen, her silky smooth hair, vanilla scent, radiating warmth, hairy legs… _wait, what?!_

Hope had cuddled with his fiancé enough times to know that Vanille did not have legs hairier than his… nor did she smell like an old gym sock. A gruff voice broke through Hope's mind and brought him back into the world of the conscious.

"_Ahem_. Ugh… ya mind gettin' offa me kid?"

Hope rolled off the side of the bed when he realized who he had nearly kissed. He looked up to see Gadot peering over the side of his bed chuckling while Maqui, Yuj and Snow doubled over laughing on the other.

"Gah! What are you doing in my bed?! Ugh… why does my head hurt so badly?" Hope winced on the floor clutching his head in pain.

"Kid, you're in _my_ bed. You had quite a night ya know." Gadot smirked at the confused look Hope gave him.

"What happened?"

"You really don't remember?" Hope shook his head no.

"Well first of all, congrats on that big jackpot win of yours! Who knew you had such a good poker face, though it's hard not to with that authoritarian Commander of yours. Secondly, I don't know how much you had to drink last night but you definitely owe me a 'thanks' for keeping your ass out of jail. FYI roulette wheels are _not_ your personal barf bags! And by the way, you might wanna take a look at your ear." By the end of Gadot's recap, the snickering three on the other bed had quieted down enough to watch Hope nervously.

The pain in Hope's head seemingly vanished for the moment. "Wait, I won? How much did I win?"

"Let's just say Lightning and Fang no longer have to pay a dime for your wedding and honeymoon."

"That's great! And ugh… thanks?"

"No problem kid and…" Gadot made a pointing gesture at his left ear and Hope brought his hand up to his own. Snow grinned sheepishly as Hope's eyes grew to an unhealthy diameter.

"I GOT MY EARS PIERCED?!" Hope squeaked and stood up so quickly it had his head reeling in pain again.

"Just one ear kid and calm down! It could be worse." Snow placed both his hands on Hope's shoulders and sat him back down before he flew through the ceiling.

"HOW?! HOW CAN IT BE WORSE?!" Hope was almost hysterical at that point. What would his father say? What would Lightning say? They weren't allowed to have any visible piercings or tattoos in the GC. Most importantly, what would _Vanille_ say?

"Well for starters you still have ears? I'm joking, sheesh." Gadot raised his hands defensively when Hope scowled at him and tried again. "You could've woken up with a tattoo on your forehead." That seemed to calm hope down a bit. He supposed that a tiny hole in his ear as opposed to a permanent facial tattoo was much more appealing.

"Where did I even get the piercing?!" Hope's anger had dissipated into pure depression as he flopped back onto the bed.

"On your left ear, kid. Are you still drunk or what?"

"_Gadot._"

"Alright, alright. Thing is, we're not too sure ourselves. We started off with two or three drinks each and went off to do our own stuff for a bit but when we tried to find you, well… we couldn't. We found you eventually, though. The roulette wheel was apparently making you dizzy so you kinda let it all out… Snow and I had to wrestle security while Yuj and Maqui dragged you back here. You already had a pocketful of cash and the earring when we found you. By the way, I don't think you can take it out until it's fully healed which should take a few months." Hope stopped touching his ear and instead ran his hand through his silver locks. Gadot patted the boy's shoulder sympathetically.

Hope groaned. Only then did he fully understand the anxiety Lightning had every time Lebreau suggested another one of her infamous girl's night outs. The boys watched as Hope slipped under the blanket with no intention of ever coming back out.

"We're gonna go grab lunch, kiddo. Stay here and get some rest, we'll bring something back for you." Hope felt the bed rise, indicating that Gadot had gotten up. They took turns giving Hope's leg a consoling pat and left. Hope listened as they whispered their recollections of the 'hilarious' incident the night previous on their way to the door.

"_Man, if yesterday was _that_ awesome then tonight's gonna be epic!"_

_Tonight? Right… Oh, please Etro, just take me now._

* * *

Lebreau woke and found herself face to face with the dirty carpeted floor, or to be more exact, _half_ her body was on the floor. The other half was still on the bed, bound to the bedpost by her wrist with a pair of regulation handcuffs.

"What the – " Lebreau leapt back onto the bed and under the covers once she realized her state of undress. Taking a quick peek around, she discovered she was in the hotel lobby, handcuffed to her bed with a gathering crowd of onlookers pointing and snickering.

"Did you have a good sleep?" an eerie voice asked.

Lebreau turned towards the source of the voice to find Fang and Lightning cuddling on the lobby's loveseat with semi-feral grins on their faces.

"What did you do to me?!"

"You had so much fun at our expense yesterday that we just thought we'd return the favour 'Breau." Fang smirked. They had ran down to the lobby the night before and plotted revenge until the strippers left a little past midnight. Lightning had asked hotel management for a spare twin bed that could be used for… police services and Fang had gone back upstairs to pick up the suspect. Serah and Vanille had put up a fight in vain attempt to defend Lebreau for all of three seconds before handing the woman over on a silver platter and went back to sleep.

"Okay, it was my bad! Now can you hand me my clothes and get me out of here please?" she pleaded from underneath the covers.

"Your clothes are right behind you Breau." Lightning pointed towards the small tree behind the bed, decorated from top to bottom with Lebreau's clothing articles, lingerie and all. It reminded her of a sick, twisted Christmas in July. Lebreau poked her out from under her protective covers and glared hard at Lightning once she realized the cause of the snickering – well, the _majority_ of the snickering.

"This is an invasion of privacy you know!"

"Then next time you should wear something less… animal." Fang quivered with laughter.

"Can you just release me, _please_?"

"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers all tied up in a knot." Fang laughed at her own joke and freed Lebreau from her temporary detainment. Lightning scattered the growing crowd as Fang handed Lebreau her clothes back.

"Are we even now?" Lebreau huffed after dressing.

"Seems like." Fang put her arm around Lebreau's shoulder and laughed as her girlfriend explained to hotel management how their prank qualified as a _police investigation_.

* * *

Vanille and Serah jumped out of bed when the door opened with a loud bang. Lebreau stomped in looking miffed and headed straight for the bathroom, but not before giving the two a dark glare.

"'Breau we're sorry, we tried to defend you but they threatened us too!" Serah yelled loud enough for Lebreau to hear on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Yeah, _sure_ your sisters were about to handcuff you two to a bed _naked_ in the hotel lobby and decorate a tree with your clothes for all of Nautilis to see" said a muffled voice from the bathroom.

Vanille and Serah turned their heads to their sisters who had just walked through the door and sat cuddling together on the couch.

"You actually didthat?" Serah's tried to suppress her laughter which only resulted in Vanille laughing even harder.

"_Not_ funny!" Lebreau let out a frustrated groan and turned on the water.

Fang shrugged. "I thought it was pretty funny." Lightning _mhmm_'d in agreement and went for a subject change.

"So, Serah…" Lightning gave her sister an amused look. "It seemed like you had a pretty good time yesterday with whatshisface all over you." She snickered when her sister _hmph_'d and looked away, red as a tomato.

"And don't think I didn't see you dirty dancing either Van." Lightning turned her attention towards the red-head currently poking her sister and guffawing. Vanille instantly resembled a deer in headlights and then it was Serah's turn to poke and laugh.

"Yeah, haha I mean what _was_ that? _Hullo…_" Serah mocked. She stopped laughing when a pillow hit her face.

"Vanille!"

"Serah, it wasn't me!" The two looked down and sure enough, the pillows on their bed were still in place. They turned their heads in the couch's direction only to receive another pillow each. Fang and Lightning shared a high five before their sisters grabbed pillows of their own and threw as hard as their arms would let them. The pillows bounced off of Fang's outstretched hand harmlessly.

"Saved your butt, Sunshine."

"Oh? Hmm, it seems so. What would my knight in shining armor like in return for her _valour_ and _gallantry_?"

Fang stuck her bottom lip out and pretended to think. Lightning placed her finger on fang's face and tilted her girlfriend's head so that they were directly facing each other. Fang's pout turned into a full blown grin as Lightning closed the distance and joined their lips in a kiss.

"Yeuuch." Serah stuck out her tongue and giggled. It made her happy to see Lightning so _open_ around Fang. Years ago, if anyone had told her that her sister, _the _Lightning Farron, would be acting like she normally did now, she would have called up the nearest mental institution and have them instated.

"Yeuuch indeed." Lebreau sat down on the empty bed and towel dried her hair.

Fang gave her lover one last peck on the cheek before looking up with a smirk. "So, what've we got planned today?"

"We have spa appointments booked for…" Lebreau looked down at her watch. "Now. Then we can hit the beach after and then the casino at night."

"Sounds…oddly normal. Okay let's get to it!" Vanille clapped her hands and stood, dragging Serah up with her.

Lightning gave Fang a worried look before making a move to get up.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, love."

If only Fang knew she would be eating those words.


	4. The Morning After II

The hotel spa reminded Lightning of a hospital. Everything that could come in white _was_ white and there were plenty of instruments she had never seen before. She scowled at the four spa workers who crowded around her girlfriend and were _clearly_ flirting. Fang sat in the spa chair directly across from Lightning, laughing cheerfully and seemingly having the time of her life. Every part of Fang's body that could be serviced in the damn place was currently being, well, _served_. If Lightning didn't know any better, she would have thought Fang was in the middle of a surgery without analgesics. She tried to stifle a laugh at Fang's latest question and smiled when Fang caught her eye and winked. Fang had spent the last half hour asking '_so what's this do?_' for pretty much everything within a two meter radius. For someone who had never been in a spa before and didn't care as much for trivial hygiene, Fang was extremely well kept.

One of the spa workers looked up from admiring Fang's fingernails. "Are you sure you've never had your nails done before? Judging from these beauties, I must accuse you of being a liar!"

Lebreau spoke up from behind her magazine in her chair beside Fang. "Let's just say she has a personal _scratching post._"

"Oh? You have a cat?"

Fang chuckled and eyed Lightning with a feral grin. "You can say that."

Her mind raced back to some fond memories of rather… _animal_ games she had played with Lightning. The worker smiled excused herself to retrieve more supplies.

Fang used her now free hand to make clawing motions at Lightning and mouthed _rawr_'s. Lightning felt her back tingle. She was certain the marks Fang left a few days back were still visible.

_Two can play at this game_. Lightning gave Fang an even look and Fang's grin faltered when she thought she had gone too far with the jokes. Trying hard not to laugh, Lightning let her tongue through her teeth and ran it along her upper lip. She chuckled silently at Fang's taken aback look and proceeded to make chomping motions which caused Fang to blush. Most people wouldn't notice when the tan woman blushed but Lightning had explored every inch of her lover's skin enough to recognize any sort of change.

Lightning heard giggling and looked to her side. Serah and Vanille had witnessed the whole exchange and were laughing hysterically into their magazines. She opened her mouth to comment but closed it when a worker sat in front of her.

Lightning had settled for a French manicure since any sort of colour would be too out of place in the GC. Lebreau, Fang and their sisters had finished their pedicures and were about to start on their manicures whereas Lightning insisted she had her hands done first. Though they guaranteed that her nails would by dry before she left the salon, she didn't want to take any chances. She wanted her fingernails _dry_.

"Same thing for your toes Miss Farron?" the worker inquired. _What was her name again? Margary?_ Lightning heard Serah's laughing escalate to borderline hysterical but ignored it.

"Uhm… yes, please."

Lightning took a quick look around and noticed she was the only one in the salon getting a pedicure and that Vanille was staring at her as if in anticipation – of what, she wasn't quite sure.

Margary lifted one of her legs out of the tub and reached for a…_ is that a toothbrush?_ The thing looked like a hybrid between an oversized toothbrush, a toilet scrubber and a cheese grater. Lightning yanked her leg back and let out an uncharacteristic squeal as soon as the grater-like thing came in contact with the bottom of her foot. She vaguely heard Serah's booming laughter over the sound of her heart thumping loudly in her ears.

Fang and Lebreau stopped mid-conversation at the sight of the very flushed soldier. Fang couldn't believe her eyes. Was Lightning… _ticklish_?

Lightning clamped her hands over her mouth and prayed to Etro she could take back that squeal. Unfortunately for her, Etro wasn't a very merciful – or useful – goddess. She could feel blood rushing to her face and it only got worse once she caught sight of Fang's neurotic expression. She sent her girlfriend a death glare. _Don't you _dare_ say anything or you'll be taking cold showers for the rest of your life._

Fang sat back and in her spa chair and gave her girlfriend a smug smile. She knew Lightning had too much face to back down. Also, if Lightning did not go through with the pedicure, she would have to murder every witness in the spa and sadly that would include Fang and her baby sister, so of course the only other option was to put on her infamous soldier face and bear through the ticklish hell with gritted teeth. Fang made a show of getting comfy in her seat, earning a fierce scowl from Lightning and excessive giggling from their sisters.

Serah, Vanille and Lebreau were currently hiding behind the safety of their magazines though Lightning could tell all eyes and ears were on her.

"Miss Farron? Is everything okay?"

She turned her attention back to Margary who was eyeing her cautiously.

"Yes. Everything is fine."

"Miss Farron…"

Margary was having trouble getting Lightning's foot back out of the tub. With a sigh Lightning relented but her toes remained curled in vain effort to lessen the ticklish feeling.

The next ten minutes was absolute _hell_. Fang was bewildered and _highly_ amused at the scene that slowly unraveled before her. It had consisted of a lot of dry heaving and thrashing on Lightning's part, and hyena-like noises from Lebreau, Serah and Vanille that resulted from failed stifled laughter. This was definitely a day to remember. Fang's hand slowly snaked toward her pocket and she pulled out her cell phone. Unfortunately for Lightning, she was too busy role playing a scene out of an exorcism in her spa chair to notice. _Yup, we'll remember this day alright._

* * *

Fang looked over her shoulder guiltily at the pink haired soldier lying in the shade provided by their beach umbrella. Lightning had been in a sour mood ever since they left the salon and hadn't spoken a word the entire walk to the beach. Once they had arrived, she immediately set up her items and fell asleep. They knew the soldier wasn't _angry_ per say, just embarrassed so they opted for a swim and left her alone to simmer down.

A splash of water to the face brought Fang's attention back to the younger pinkette in front of her.

"She's just being stubborn, Fang. Claire will be in a better mood once she wakes up, now come on! Lebreau's really elusive so we need your help."

Serah latched herself onto Fang's arm and led her deeper into the water until they were standing waist-deep.

They watched as Vanille creeped towards Lebreau from behind with a ball of mud in her hands, ready to be launched.

Fang gave a hearty laugh when Lebreau turned around and splashed a wave of water into Vanille's face, causing the red head to drop the mud ball on herself mid throw, trip and become fully submerged underwater. Vanille came up sputtering and gave Lebreau a frustrated glare.

"Five hundred years too old to think you can pull one over on me, grandma!"

Lebreau tossed one last cocky grin over her shoulder and dove under and out of sight.

"You did not just play the age card!"

Vanille waded over to Fang and attached herself to her sister's free arm. "Faaang!"

"I know, I heard, Vanille."

She tried to push Vanille's face away but it was hard to with Serah still latched onto her other arm.

Vanille let go when she saw that Fang had no intention of budging from her spot. "You know… she technically called you a grandma too."

"Let's get that conniving woman!"

3 3 3

Lightning smiled as she watched her girlfriend and their sisters run after Lebreau. She would never admit this out loud but the bartender was a lot tougher than she made herself out to be. Lebreau, like Serah and Vanille, had an eerie maliciousness to her but differed from the younger two in the sense that she cunningly portrayed herself in such a manner that causes others to underestimate her. Of course, Lightning and Fang knew better than to underestimate other people but even they had to admit that Lebreau had gotten the better of both of them multiple times.

After a half hour of futile attempts to catch Lebreau, Fang left Serah and Vanille to fend for themselves and opted for a swim instead. Lightning let her eyes scan the water from behind her sunglasses looking for Fang. After several minutes and no sight of the Pulsian, Lightning started to get worried. After several more seconds, Lightning found herself knee deep in the water yelling for Serah to come over.

"Have you seen Fang?"

Serah shook her head no and took a quick look around.

"She said she was going for a swim but that was a while ago… I'll go ask Vanille and Lebreau if they've seen her."

Lightning's chest tightened when Vanille and Lebreau repeated Serah's motion of shaking their heads and worriedly looked around. Vanille cupped her mouth with her hands and shouted for Fang. Lebreau and Serah joined in soon after.

The last time she felt this scared was right before the whole l'Cie fiasco when she realized Serah was telling the truth. It was the Purge all over again. If she hadn't been stubborn and unapproachable, Fang might have stayed on shore with her instead of joined the others in the water. Lightning grit her teeth and clenched her fists. She had promised never to make the same mistake she did with Serah but she had just proven that old habits die hard.

"She's probably diving so she can't hear us, don't worry, Light."

Vanille had made her way over and was trying her best to reassure Lightning but the unconvinced look on her face just worried the soldier even more. Ignoring Vanille's calls, she waded further out until the water was above her waist and dove under. The temperature was cold but Lightning quickly acclimated and forced her muscles to take her out to deeper waters. Fang was missing and possibly drowning so the last thing Lightning wanted to do was stand in shallow water, calling helplessly out to thin air.

The water in Nautilus was a lot murkier than back in Bodhum. She could see five feet in front of her at best and her lungs were beginning to burn. _Damn this pollution._ Lighting stayed submerged for a few more seconds before reaching her limit and ascended. She could no longer feel the ground beneath her feet and judging from the time it took for her to break the water's surface, she must have swum out a long distance.

There was still no sign of Fang and she could faintly hear Lebreau still calling closer to shore. Lightning felt sick. She didn't think she could possibly feel any worse, until something caught her eye. Several meters from where Serah was searching, a figure was floating lifelessly. Lightning swam as fast as her cold, fatigued muscles would allow, calling for Fang and Serah.

"Claire?"

Lightning stopped swimming once she was close enough to run. Serah turned her head in the direction her sister was frantically hurrying in and joined her in a run once she caught sight of Fang floating lifelessly.

"Fang! Vanille, Lebreau! We found Fang!"

Lightning didn't slow until she had the unconscious Fang in her arms.

"Lightning, get her to shore, there's nothing we can do for her here!"

Lebreau took Fang by the legs and motioned for Lightning to follow. They had strayed far from the main area in their search for Fang and so there were no other tourists in the area, let alone a lifeguard.

Lightning had been trained for emergency situations since her first day with the Corps. She was accredited with saving many lives with her skills and quick thinking but never had she been in a situation where it was a loved one she was trying to save. Usually it was her barking orders at shell shocked soldiers to either assist her with emergency first aid or to step away from the casualty since their panicked mental state at seeing a close friend in such a condition was doing nothing but worsen the situation, but it was currently Lebreau telling _her_ to let go of Fang.

The instant she had Fang back in her arms, every bit of training and knowledge she had in first aid went straight out the window. She could barely even communicate coherently. Her brain told her to let go of Fang and _save her life_ but her heart told her to never let go for if she did, she would regret it forever. She could feel her arms being pried away from Fang, and Serah's pleading voice begging her to let go so Lebreau could do her job.

"Claire, you need to let go!"

Lightning's muscles quivered as she fought to keep a hold on Fang but the pain from the lactic acid enabled Serah to successfully pin her down. She watched helplessly in her sister's arms as Lebreau did chest compressions on Fang's limp body. After four separate attempts, Lebreau fell backwards and sat as lifelessly as Fang looked.

"No…"

Vanille dropped to her knees beside Lebreau and Lightning could feel Serah release her hold. _This is not happening, this is not happening, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!_

Lightning scrambled over to her girlfriend's body and shook her shoulders relentlessly.

"Fang, what do you think you're doing, WAKE UP! You promised to never leave me again, was everything you said to me just bullshit and lies?! Fang… wake up… WAKE UP DAMMIT!"

Tears fell onto Fang's limp body. Lightning hadn't realized she was crying but made no effort to contain her tears. Countless scenarios of a life without Fang played in her mind. She didn't see herself as _Lightning_, the strong stoic soldiers with impenetrable walls. Instead, she saw an empty, hollow shell whose soul was so broken that even the goddess Etro herself could not repair it.

"Fang, I love you… please wake up, you promised me, YOU PROMISED!"

Lightning's body shook as she cried. She never noticed the silence that replaced the hysterical sobbing of the other three women.

Serah, Vanille and Lebreau watched in a relieved stupor as Fang's limp arm reached up and caressed the crying soldier's face.

"I guess I did promise you that, huh?"

Lightning stilled and slowly opened her eyes. In her lap was a grinning Pulsian who didn't quite resemble someone who just came back from the dead.

"Fang? How are you even – what just – but chest compressions!"

Her grief quickly changed into anger as a sheepish grin spread across the woman's face.

"Just kidding?"

Lightning felt a familiar tensing in her muscles and stood before she ended the life of the very woman she was crying over just seconds ago. Fang hit the sand with an _oomph_ and her grin disappeared when she saw the look on the soldier's face. Lightning's posture spoke _anger _but her eyes spoke a deep sadness. Fang realized her 'little' prank had gone too far this time.

"Light, I'm –"

Without a word, Lightning turned on her heels and marched away.


	5. What Happens In Nautilus

Fang nervously glanced at the hotel room door and then back at the scowling trio. Whatever force was waiting for her behind the door was undoubtedly a bigger threat than the three women glaring daggers into her and was to be reckoned with.

"Do I have to do this _now_? Can't I just wait 'til she cools down a bit?"

Fang shifted on her feet and laughed anxiously, attempting to bide herself more time before she faced her angry girlfriend. She didn't know exactly what part of her thought that faking her death was a good idea, only that she had just wanted Lightning to enjoy her time at the beach. So her little 'joke' couldn't really be called a joke, at least she now knows how much Lightning really loves her…

Fang rested her forehead on her palm and shook her head. _You're an idiot… you already know how much she loves you! As if the last two years together doesn't prove anything!_

Serah and Vanille shared a look. Lightning was the victim here – that much was clear, however seeing Fang mentally berate herself was painful. They had followed after Lightning when the soldier marched off in the direction of the main beach, leaving Fang alone for the better part of an hour. Needless to say, they were just as angry. Lebreau hadn't cried that much since she was a child and Serah considered Fang very much as a sister. Seeing Lightning crumble so instantaneously and the heartbroken Vanille had just added to the drowning feeling in her chest. Serah was an unbegrudging and forgiving person and a part of her had already forgiven Fang but whether or not they were square, that was for Lightning to decide.

By the time they had made it back to the main beach area, Lightning's stuff was gone. After placing many calls, all of which went to voicemail, Fang showed up looking like she had just attended a funeral. This further angered the three women for the possibility of a funeral wasn't too far off just hours ago.

Vanille gave her sister a deadly look, causing the older woman to raise her hands defensively and reach for the doorknob nervously.

_Here goes nothing_…

In one smooth motion, Fang swiped her key card and twisted the doorknob letting them into the hotel room.

"Hey Light, listen, I'm sorry about… Light?" Fang had been hoping to get her apology out before she found herself at gunblade-point but her breath was wasted seeing as Lightning and her gunblade weren't there… and neither were the rest of her belongings.

"She must have gone back to Oerba…" Serah placed the rest of their tickets – minus Lightning's – back into the open drawer and bit her bottom lip. She walked over and gave Fang a hug which Fang returned graciously.

"I'm sorry Serah… and you too Van. I'm sorry I ruined your wedding."

Vanille's angry façade faded once she saw tears in her sister's eyes and invited herself into her sister's arms.

"Don't be silly, you didn't ruin my wedding! It's not a party without Light anyway… we can go home a day early."

"No Vanille. You guys stay here and enjoy the rest of your weekend, I'm gonna find Light. We're gonna need some time alone so it's best if only I leave." Vanille hesitated but then reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Just do what you need to do Fang, I'll take care of them. And seeing as how it's just us three now, I'll call up the guys and we can just spend the day together."

Fang nodded gratefully at Lebreau who smiled back sadly. She had never seen the other woman so… _down_ before and it was unnerving. It was further evidence of how she took her joke too far. With one last squeeze, she let go of her sisters and packed her belongings.

* * *

Hope set down his take-out dinner and ran his hands through his silver hair in frustration.

"Vanille is going to _freak_ when she sees this!"

Snow and Gadot shared a worried look. They had barely managed to convince Hope to come out from under the covers and eat his dinner. Knowing Lightning and Vanille, they would probably accuse them of neglecting the young boy.

Yuj slapped his hand on Hope's shoulder with a grin.

"Are you sure she wouldn't find it y'know… _sexy_?"

Maqui nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"You do have this new bad boy look to you. I'd totally tap that."

Hope gave Maqui a horrified look and inched back on his bed as Yuj laughed and pulled his friend into a headlock.

"You're such a closet case Mac!"

"Am not!"

A knock interrupted their laughter and Yuj released his friend to answer the door. He was pleasantly surprised as Lebreau shoved her way through and into their room.

"Hey ladies! Couldn't stand to be away from the Yujster huh?"

"Can it Blue…" Lebreau smirked as Yuj pouted at the use of his appointed nickname.

Serah and Vanille pushed past Lebreau and hurled themselves into Snow and Hope's arms. Snow let out a pleasant laugh as he spun his wife while Hope nervously returned Vanille's hug. He was very happy to see his girlfriend after spending two days without her but Vanille's appearance was definitely a surprise – not unpleasant, just unexpected.

"Vanille! What are you doing here?" Hope captured Vanille, pulling her in for another embrace and holding her face to his chest when she tried to get a better look at his face.

"Erm… something happened and our plans have changed… are you okay Hope?"

Vanille could hear Hope's heart pounding in his chest and her question only seemed to make it beat faster.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! So what happened?" Hope struggled to keep a hold on Vanille as she tried to push away. _Dear Etro she's strong_…

Serah and Lebreau shared a confused look as Hope struggled to keep a hold on Vanille and the latter tried desperately to get away.

Lebreau's jaw dropped as she caught sight of the glistening ring hanging on Hope's left ear.

"Oh my maker! Is that a – " She was quickly cut off as Maqui clamped a hand over her mouth and whispered something in her ear. She nodded in acquiescence and tried to stifle her own laughter when Maqui let her go. Serah raised an eyebrow at the bartender. Lebreau caught her eye and tugged on her left ear earning a confused look from the pinkette.

Serah looked to her husband for clarification and Snow leaned in to whisper in her ear. Gadot chuckled as Serah's eyes widened with each passing second and finally looked to Hope's earring. She clamped her hands over her own mouth and giggled.

"Hope, honey… can you let go of me?"

"Okay but… promise me you won't freak out."

"I ugh… I promise?"

With a sigh, Hope released his fiancée who looked up at him with equal parts confusion and worry. Vanille waited for further explanation but then something silver caught her eye. It was hard to see at first since it blended in with Hope's light hair but once she caught sight of it, it was all she could see.

"You got your ears pierced?"

Hope released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, surprised at Vanille's mild reaction.

"Just one, and yeah. I'm not too sure exactly how it happened, sorry Vanille." It was his turn to be surprised when Vanille let out a giggle.

"Why are you sorry?" She smiled and leaned in for a closer look.

"Because it's stupid…" Hope blushed at Vanille's close proximity and the fact that they an audience.

Vanille stopped playing with his earring and made herself comfortable on his lap.

"I don't think it's stupid… actually, I think it's kind of sexy." The young couple flinched when Gadot's laughter cascaded through the small room.

"Hah! Well I'll be damned, Yuj was right!" The blue haired teen sat up at the mention of his name.

"What, about Maqui being a closet case?"

"No, about Vanille finding it sexy. But maybe that too." Gadot chuckled as Maqui tried to wrestle himself out of Lebreau's vice-like grip.

Hope felt the pressure leave his chest and pulled his fiancée into quick but passionate kiss. Serah reached up and pushed back her husband's blonde hair. Her disappointment must have shown at the lack of an earring since Snow chuckled and tugged his own empty earlobes in confirmation.

"So where's sis?" Snow felt his wife wrap around his midsection and he rubbed her shoulders consolingly.

They listened quietly as Vanille recounted the day's happenings, followed by an uncomfortable silence.

"It was just a joke, did she really have to leave?"

"I agree with Maqui, Fang's always been a prankster, what's the big deal?"

They all looked to Serah for an explanation.

"You guys weren't there… Claire was really broken, we all were. Fang had us really convinced and it wasn't funny. Claire was crying and…" Snow pulled his wife into a hug as she sniffled in his arms.

"Yikes… that bad huh?" Vanille nodded sadly to her fiancé as the uncomfortable silence returned.

Once again Maqui was the one to break the silence. "Should we go back to Oerba and see how they're doing?"

"No, no." Lebreau shook her head and folded her arms defiantly. "Fang wanted us to give her some time alone with Light and frankly, I think they need it. We only have one more day before we're due back so we were thinking of just spending it together. So how about it?"

Gadot nodded gruffly. "Sounds good, what should we do?"

All heads turned as a melodic knock sounded on the door.

"Well first I have to shoo away these strippers..."

Everyone looked to Vanille and Serah questioningly.

"Don't ask."

* * *

Vanille squeezed Hope's hand as they walked through the lobby of Serendipity, Nautilus' most prestigious and well known casino. Though she was happy to be able to spend the rest of her weekend with her fiancé, her thoughts couldn't help but stray in the direction of her older sisters.

"They'll be okay."

Vanille withdrew from her reverie and forced a smile onto her lips though she was far from convinced. With a sigh, Hope stopped his forward movement and grabbed his fiancée by the shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.

"Listen Van, they love each other as much as I love you. Light and I spent five years waiting for you and Fang to wake up. There wasn't a single day where Light was truly happy until the day she was able to hold Fang in her arms again. After everything we've been though, do you think Light will let a joke stand between them?"

Hope's eyes were resolute and any doubt Vanille had regarding the relationship of her older sisters left her. She nodded in agreement and huddled closer to Hope, continuing their walk through the casino.

"You're right, and they've been together as long as we have – probably even longer considering we never fraternized during the whole l'Cie fiasco. I'm surprised they're not married yet."

"Well I was only fourteen then… and yeah why is that? I've even heard Light refer to Fang as her wife from time to time at the base."

Vanille giggled. "How oddly convenient that my time in crystal sleep put us at the same age huh? The Goddess' ways are quite unbecoming. Anyway, you know how those two are; never the type for crowds, noise and gaudiness. I just wish they'd get married already!" Vanille let out a frustrated groan.

"Everyone knows they're practically married so wouldn't a wedding be redundant and unnecessary?" Hope chuckled at the mental image of a scowling Fang and Light in a dress under the watchful hawk eyes of Serah and Vanille.

"I guess, but a girl can dream."

They continued their leisurely stroll through the large gambling establishment, stopping every now and then to try their luck. Vanille had been skeptical upon hearing that Hope had won a large sum of money the night prior and Hope was eager to test his luck seeing as he had no memory of the previous night. Unfortunately, Lady Luck was seemingly in favour of the tall blonde man sneering back at Hope from across the roulette table. He sighed amusedly as the pinkette attached to the blonde's waist teasingly stuck out her tongue at his fiancée.

"Maybe if you throw up in the roulette wheel like you did yesterday you might win something again kid!" Snow's loud laughter drew the attention of roulette dealers at nearby tables who scrutinized the silver haired boy upon recalling his incident the previous night.

He had lost at every table he stopped at before finding Snow and Serah. His recent losses hadn't even put a dent in his winnings and Vanille was everything but stingy when it came to money, however Hope had somewhat of a reputation to keep and refused to leave without breaking his losing streak, otherwise Gadot would never let him hear the end of it. Hope was about to respond to his blonde haired friend when a hoarse voice interrupted him.

"Do not misattribute your bad luck with Lady Luck young one for the cause of your misfortunes is closer than you think."

An elderly lady left her seat at the slot machine a mere few feet away and ambled over to the confused couple. Judging from her looks, the woman was anywhere in her high fifties to low sixties and had the wrinkles to prove it. She wore a plain dark purple shawl and cat-eye glasses with a beaded croaky, reminding Serah of the librarian that works at her elementary school back in Oerba.

"I beg your pardon ma'am?"

The old woman eyed Vanille disdainfully and moved to circle the pair. Hope drew his fiancée closer and moved to keep himself between the woman and Vanille.

"You see young lad, everyone is indeed special, every soul a different kind. There are people who are meant to be together but are not fortunate enough to cross paths and there are those whose insistent relationship brings great discord and misfortune. I sense that you and your girlfriend do not share a natural affinity. Your insistence on being together will bring you nothing but adversity in the future. Heed my warning child, rid yourself of your bad luck and leave her." The old woman continued to eye Vanille with contempt.

Hope felt Vanille's tug and was about to turn and walk away but then his body stiffened and tensed at the old woman's suggestion. Vanille tearfully grabbed Hope's hand when he showed no intention of moving from his position between her and the old woman.

"Ignore her Hope, she's crazy." Should Lightning have been present, she would have been proud at the glares Serah and Snow sent the woman's way. In fact, should the soldier have been present, the old woman would be in pieces for speaking about Vanille in such an ill manner.

Hope was typically not the type to take empty words to heart, however this old prying woman had just come out of nowhere, insulted his fiancée and reduced her to tears and pretty much demanded he leave her. While his brain told him to walk away and not cause further trouble, his heart wouldn't let him. If he let this woman get away with insulting Vanille, he would lose all right to marry her in his own eyes and the eyes of Fang and everyone else. He gently pried Vanille's fingers off of his hand and felt them clench into fists.

"Listen you old hag!" The trio of former l'Cie along with any passing stranger close by flinched in surprise at Hope's sharp and loud tone. He could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest and the blood rushing to his head, not used to being involved in conflict. "Who in the hell do you think you are, telling me who I should and shouldn't be with?! We went to hell and back and even defeated Fal'Cie to be together so if you think that your pathetic words can dictate whether or not I marry my fiancée then you are sadly mistaken! If the gods or any other greater power out there do not want Vanille and I to be together, then I will fight them and I will win. Fate cannot stand in my way and neither can you."

Hope marched off to the roulette table he had been at previously and placed a straight up bet on a random number with the pocketful of cash he had won the night before. The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins and the ringing in his ears was deafening. His vision became fish eyed and soon he was deaf to the world around him. He felt drunk off of rage, passion and adrenaline until the sound of loud cheering and arms nudging him in congratulations brought him out of his stupor.

"Hope you actually won! Look!" Hope looked back at the roulette wheel and sure enough, the white ball sat inside the red notch marked '21'. He drew Vanille into a hug and sneered over her shoulder at the old woman glaring back at him. Only when the last of the adrenaline diminished from his veins did it occur to him how utterly stupid he would have looked had he lost. A wave of relief washed over him as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the familiar black and white wheel.

* * *

Fang threw her belongings at the base of the staircase and took the steps two at a time to her shared bedroom. The doorknob indicated the door was locked when she tried to open it. She rapped on the door urgently.

"Light, _please_ open the door!" Fang paused in her attack on the door when she heard shuffling but raised an eyebrow once the shuffling stopped. She tried once again to open the door but it was still locked.

"Light? If you don't open the door, I'm breaking in, by the Goddess Etro you know I will!" Fang waited a few more seconds should her girlfriend decide to show mercy on their wooden door but received only silence in return. She took as many steps back as the narrow corridor would allow and leapt forward with a front kick that severed the door from its hinge on the wall, sending the piece of wood sailing through the doorway.

The pink haired soldier was nowhere in sight. The window was closed and nothing seemed out of place but the shuffling Fang had heard moments before were indicative of a presence lest her hearing deceived her. She took a confused look around her bedroom and was about to leave and search the rest of the house when she heard a faint but familiar hamster-like sneeze.

"Light… are you hiding in the closet?" Fang would have laughed at the ridiculousness had the situation not been so delicate.

_Damn these clothes!_ Lightning mentally cursed at the endless racks of clothing Serah and Vanille had bought for her and Fang. They had worn half of them at most while the rest just hung in their closet, collecting dust.

The shadow underneath the door indicated that Fang was standing on the other side. Lightning didn't know why but she felt compelled to press her hand against the door.

Fang sat and gently pressed her hand against the door as if it were Lightning's hands touching her own.

"I know you're in there Claire… you don't have to say anything, just listen. I know what I did was very stupid, I wasn't planning on taking it that far but you surprised me is all. I hadn't expected you to react the way you did but I realize now that I'm an idiot for thinking that. I don't doubt you love me Claire so I shouldn't have expected you to react any less, I'm sorry."

_Idiot… of course I love you._ _I'm crying in a _closet_ over you for Etro's sake…_

Lightning shook her head and smiled as she silently wiped the tears that had escaped her eyes. She would have jumped out of the dusty death trap and into the arms of her Pulsian lover had she have heard the sound of car doors opening and closing outside her home. Seconds later and the voices of Serah and Vanille as well as several footsteps entered the abode. She would need time to compose herself. Her make up with Fang would have to wait.

"Fang? Where's Light? And where's the door?" Serah and Vanille tentatively entered the master bedroom and quirked their eyebrows at the sight of the proud warrior talking to a door.

"Serah! Tell that sister of yours to come out of the closet!" Fang huffed in frustration and got up to remove the door from her bed.

"Uhm, I thought she did that when she admitted her feelings for you."

Fang blinked at the younger Farron before her mind registered what Serah meant.

"Not like _that_! I mean _literally_ tell her to come out of the closet!" Fang let out another frustrated groan and pointed at the closed closet door that she had been conversing with moments prior.

Vanille and Serah shared a look and proceeded to laugh uncontrollably in eachother's arms.

"Light's hiding in the closet?! This is too funny!"

The younger pair tried their best to constrain their laughter but failed miserably.

"We'll leave you two at it… and Fang? There's no lock on the closet door."

Fang's lips twitched as she watched her sisters carry each other out the room and down the stairs to the waiting audience.

Lightning's lips parted in surprise as the closet door opened, letting in the light from the bedroom and closing just as quickly as it was opened, restoring the small space to its darkened state. She felt a warm, familiar body take its place beside her and grab hold of her hand. Her hand was gently guided to caress the face of the other woman where she soon felt warm tears cascading down the length of her fingers.

"I promise I'll never joke again Claire… please forgive me."

Lightning took Fang's free hand in her own and led it to her face as she leaned in closer. Only when she felt the familiar warmth of Fang's hand against her face did she allow her own tears to fall. Fang's very essence was teasing and for her to willingly offer up such a huge part of herself for disposal just for Lightning's happiness moved the soldier to the core.

"I already have. And you don't have to stop with your jokes, it's what I love about you, just… never pull that stunt again."

She felt Fang lean in closer and the woman's breath tickled her lips as she spoke.

"Noted. Now how about we go downstairs and tell your sisters that you finally came out of the closet yeah?"

Lightning chuckled and leaned in closer until their lips were but a hairsbreadth away.

"Later. We have some catching up to do."

* * *

**AN: It really bothers me when people judge the relationship of others or just other people in general. I remember losing it with this one extremely rude lady who seemed adamant on making my sister out to be some sort of predatory gold digging nymph since her husband is slightly older than she is -.-" Honestly...**


	6. Something For Light

Fang groaned in her half awake stupor, unable to shake the feeling that something was missing. She pushed herself up on one elbow and scanned her bedroom through tired eyes, smiling contentedly when she spotted what she was looking for.

_There ya are, Sunshine!_

The tanned woman twisted her body and snaked herself back underneath the covers, this time lying on her other side. Fang had a habit of rolling and kicking in her sleep, much to Lightning's dismay. The pink haired soldier would often find herself waking up in the middle of the night to recover the blanket that her girlfriend had kicked right off their bodies and other times to avoid the knees and elbows the other woman would send her way. They had tried using separate blankets and even upgrading to the largest mattress known to Gran Pulse after one particular incident involving a disgruntled soldier who had literally been kicked out of bed and a very guilty Pulsian, however despite their best efforts, Fang would have to live with waking up across the vast sea of blankets from her pinkette.

Fang snuck her way over and wrapped her arms around the familiar toned body, leaning in to inhale the sweet scent of roses that was Lightning Farron. The other woman groaned craned her neck, allowing Fang more access as she planted gentle kisses along her jaw line and behind her ear. Lightning grasped the hands that were wrapped around her midsection and loosened their grip as she turned so that her body was resting on top of Fang's. She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted as Fang's lips enveloped hers in a passionate kiss – a taste of what was yet to come.

Lightning broke away to catch her breath and realized that her back was to the mattress and Fang was now on top.

_Sneaky woman_.

Before Lightning could try and regain her position, Fang slumped to the side and back under the covers of her warm blanket, pulling Lightning as close to her as possible. The soldier placed a soft kiss on the other woman's forehead and repositioned herself so that Fang's head was resting on her arm and their knees were locked together in a tangle of limbs.

"If you keep sleeping on the very edge of the bed like that, you won't need me to kick you off; you'll just fall off on your own, Sunshine." Fang chuckled lightly at the pink glow in the soldier's cheeks.

"It beats waking up with bruises." Lightning huffed as she recalled the knowing looks Amodar and fellow soldiers sent her way at the base gym. She had in fact received the bruises from Fang, but not in the way everyone had assumed.

"You wake up with bruises regardless of whether or not you take some hits or fall off the bed, Light." Fang snickered as the faint glow in the soldier's cheeks darkened to a rosy hue.

Lightning frowned. The other woman had darker skin, meaning that any evidence of their passionate love making would undoubtedly be displayed on her own body while any marks inflicted on the Pulsian huntress could hardly pass for visible. On the rare occasion that one did show, the tanned woman would flaunt and wear it proudly for the world to see. It was times like those where Lightning wasn't sure if she wanted to kiss her girlfriend or punch her.

She groaned as she felt the huntress' skilled hands roam down her body and stop at her navel, tugging lightly on her piercing. Lightning rolled her eyes and gently slapped the woman's hands away. Her girlfriend had a peculiar fascination with her navel piercing, which was nothing more than two silver balls attached by a steel bar that ran through the upper ridge of her navel.

Gran Pulse culture was more accepting of tattoos than with piercings any place other than the ears whereas Cocoon culture deemed both as distasteful, unless of course the tattoo was a brand from a Cocoon Fal'Cie. The huntress had been pleasantly surprised to discover the ornament on the soldier the first night they spent together before the Fall.

~Flashback~

"_Oh? What's this beauty?" Fang paused in her slow trail of kisses down the smooth toned abdomen of the soldier shuddering underneath her to admire the ornament, gleaming faintly in the moonlight._

"_It's called a piercing, Fang. You have one too." Lightning huffed impatiently and flicked the violet crystal dangling from the huntress' ear._

"_It's on my _ear_ Sunshine, not _there_." Fang gestured to the barbell. "You've always struck me as the more reserved type, I had no idea you were so… _rebellious_. So when'd ya get it?" She rested her head upon Lightning's bare abdomen and tugged at the piercing, earning a half hearted slap to her hand and a sigh from the sexually deprived soldier._

"_On my eighteenth birthday, right after I joined the Corps. Serah was angry at me and so I promised I would do anything to make it up to her, with the exception of leaving the GC. She didn't think I was serious and so she suggested I get something done from the tattoo shop we happened to be standing in front of." Lightning chuckled as Fang scanned her body for any tattoos she may have missed._

"_No Fang, I don't have any. Fortunately for me, the walk-in artist was sick and couldn't come in that day, however Serah didn't specifically say I had to get a _tattoo_."_

"_So you whipped off your shirt and pierced your navel?" Fang snickered and Lightning rolled her eyes._

"_It was my only option, the GC doesn't allow facial piercings or visible tattoos. I had to do _something_, I promised Serah."_

"_Well you're lucky that's the way it turned out then, Sunshine. I can't imagine you with one of these things on your face." The huntress grinned as she felt the rumble of laughter from the soldier beneath her._

"_I guess…" Lightning agreed._

"_So if the tattoo artist had been in that day, what would you have gotten?"_

"_I don't know… I just really wanted to prove to Serah that I would make it up to her, I hadn't really thought about it."_

"_Ah… tell me more – that is, if you don't mind I mean." Fang quickly corrected herself and chuckled nervously. She feared the soldier would shut her out again if she pried heedlessly but to her pleasant surprise, Lightning just smiled and let the words flow out of her._

_While most people would opt to leave the woman alone, the Pulsian had been adamant about getting the cold soldier to open up to her. The genuine emotion in the usually stoic woman's voice as she recalled her personal past was a testament to how much she trusted Fang. It seemed the effort put forth by the Pulsian was not so fruitless after all – where the soldier was stubborn, Fang could be just as equally._

_Fang hands found Lightning's and she held them as the soldier recalled her past. The soldier had spoken more to Fang that night than she had to anyone during their entire journey. Having also lost her parents at a young age, Fang understood what it was like having to bear the weight of responsibility for a younger sibling – even though Vanille was not related to her by blood. It could really shape a person._

"_And you?"_

_Fang slipped out of her reverie, realizing Lightning had asked her a question._

"_Hmm?"_

"_Your tattoo, when did you get it?"_

_The huntress felt a grin spread across her face. She didn't know why, but the interest the soldier was showing in her culture made her happy._

"_It's a clan tradition. When I came of age, I went on my very first hunt alone and this maw signifies my first kill."_

"_You killed a behemoth on your own as a kid? Impressive."_

"King_ behemoth," Fang corrected. "And thanks. You're not too bad yourself, Sunshine. Can't say I've ever met a viper as skilled as you are."_

"_Really?" Lightning's voice took on a more teasing tone as she ran her fingers through the other woman's wild mane. "That means a lot coming from someone who's lived for five hundred and twenty one years." She laughed when she felt Fang stiffen on top of her._

"_Hey! I was asleep for half a millennium, I'm only twenty one!" Her pout quickly turned into a sheepish grin at the sight of the laughing soldier. Lightning's laugh was adorable. "How about you, would you ever get a tattoo, Light?"_

"_No, I don't think so. Maybe one day when I find something that means a lot to me, but for now, no."_

~End flashback~

"Fang, what are you smiling about?" Lightning raised her eyebrows questioningly at her girlfriend as the warrior traced her tattoo with her fingers.

"You said you would never get one, but you did." Fang met Lightning's eyes and watched as the soldier matched her smile.

"I said I would if I ever found something that means a lot to me, and I did."

Fang beamed. Her girlfriend had gotten her final words before she went into crystal stasis tattooed behind her right shoulder and the sentimental value behind it was priceless. The things Lightning did for her made Fang feel almost unworthy. Lightning had gotten a tattoo to match hers, so what if…

"Hey Light, what would you think if I –"

Before Fang could finish, the sound of a cell phone ringing echoed through the room. She looked at her girlfriend quizzically.

"What?" Lightning returned the questioning look.

"Are ya gonna get that?"

"Fang, it's _yours_."

"Light, it's coming from _your_ direction."

The soldier stubbornly refused to me, forcing Fang to roll to her nightstand where sure enough, her cellphone's lit screen indicated an incoming call.

"Yes, Vanille?" Fang gave Lightning a knowing smirk when the ringing didn't stop after she answered the call. She watched as her girlfriend rolled to her own nightstand and answered her own cell phone.

"Serah." Lightning breathed.

The couple shared a disinterested look as they murmured in agreement to their respective sisters and sighed as they hung up at the same time.

"They were together and yet, they both felt the need to call." Lightning shook her head, slightly amused.

Serah had booked an appointment at the local bridal boutique in New Bodhum so Vanille could try on wedding gowns which also meant Fang and Lightning would be trying on bridesmaid dresses. Lightning had promised Vanille that she would not show up late in her uniform like she had for Serah's wedding – the younger Farron will never let her forget it – and Fang had also grudgingly promised not to wear her sari.

"I hate dresses… they're not made for walking, sitting or even breathing." Fang huffed.

Lightning took the woman's hand sympathetically. She knew all too well how inconvenient formal wear was. She once had to go undercover at a banquet hosted at some socialite's mansion when one of the recruits blew their cover. How she had managed to get away safely while wearing four inch heels and a dress equivalent to a Boa Constrictor was beyond her. Due to the many banquets and formal dinners she was forced to attend as part of the Guardian Corps, Lightning was somewhat used to dressing up, though she would never enjoy it. She understood how particularly hard it was for the Pulsian whose wardrobe practically revolved around casual, practicality and comfort.

"It's only for one day, you'll survive."

"Why can't I wear a suit like I did for Serah's wedding?" Lightning's heart raced as she recalled her younger sister's reception. She hadn't been able to exchange a single word with Fang since they were whisked away by the wedding coordinators for hair and makeup. Apparently her sister had taken the _"necessary precautions"_ and kept the two separated until the ceremony was over for fear of having to walk herself down the aisle since her sister was too busy having sex in a tent somewhere. The other woman had found her at the reception and caught her off guard with her attire. Fang had gotten permission from Serah to ditch the bridesmaid dress and wear her "sexy tux" instead, and sexy tux it was indeed. Lightning was firmly convinced that Fang could wear a garbage bag and still look sexy.

"Because Serah didn't mind. This is Vanille's wedding, so you have to do as she says."

"But we're paying for it! Doesn't that mean she has to do as _we_ say?" Fang let a malevolent smile show through her features.

"Actually, Hope refuses to let us pay a single gil and that reminds me, we still need to buy their present." Lightning untangled herself from Fang and headed for the bathroom. She paused at the doorway and gave the huntress a look to which the other woman returned with a cheeky grin.

"Fang get out of bed we're gonna be late." Lightning turned and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the Pulsian woman to crawl out of bed on her own. Fang groaned and made her way to the closet, taking her blanket with her. She dressed quickly and headed to the bathroom where Lightning was finishing up.

Lightning couldn't help but roll her eyes as Fang winked and brushed past her, tastefully clad in her signature blue jeans and black tank top. No one should be able to make a loose fitting pair of jeans and a black tank top look that sexy, she thought. She was about to rummage through her closet for something to wear until something caught her eye. The sneaky Pulsian had taken the courtesy of picking out her day's attire for her. Lightning picked up the pair of skimpy brown shorts and the white v-neck t-shirt and looked in the direction of her closet. Picking out new clothes in her endless rack of clothing would take too much time and they were already running late for their meeting with Serah and Vanille. With a sigh, Lightning acquiesced and adorned the scant clothing. Shes neered over her shoulder at the Pulsian who had stopped mid-brush in the bathroom upon seeing the pinkette's reflection in the mirror.

Fang finished washing up and leered at the casually dressed soldier waiting patiently on the bed.

"Lookin' good, Lightbug."

"Thanks. Just remember, you're not the only person with eyes." Lightning laughed as Fang's smirk denatured to a crestfallen and horrified look.

"Ugh, it's actually a bit chilly out Light, so ya might wanna take a sweater and put on a pair of pants."

Lightning laughed as her girlfriend tossed her a pair of black jeans.

* * *

Lightning pulled into the driveway of her younger sister. The shorter Farron stood from her seat on the porch bench and marched haughtily toward the dark sport sedan, followed by an equally disgruntled Vanille.

"You're late." Serah huffed.

"Relax Pinky, we're not _that_ late." Fang turned and grinned at the younger pair behind her. "And good morning to ya too." She chuckled as the younger Farron blushed and murmured a _good morning_.

"Serah, what's the place called?"

"Oh here, let me –" Serah heaved her small frame to the front of the vehicle and entered the address of the boutique into the navigation panel.

A half hour later and the quartet arrived at _Bodhum Brides_. The building looked old in an aesthetically pleasing way, its lack of windows and displays concealing its identity as a bridal boutique.

"So which one of ya is gonna give me a boost up there?" Lightning gave her girlfriend a confused look but then realized that Fang had alluded to the nonexistent door.

"This is a very elite boutique Fang, not just anyone can walk in. Luckily, the owner owes Lebreau more than a few favours." Serah marched over to the buzzer and spoke to the receptionist who granted them access through a door in the side.

Lightning grabbed Fang, who was mumbling something about Cocoonians and their superfluous antics, by the wrist and gently pulled her through the door, though she had to admit that Fang was right.

The inside of the boutique reminded Lightning of a grand white ballroom, only overly decorated with elaborate white fabrics and dresses. Vanille was instantly whisked away by the boutique worker once she identified herself as the bride and Lightning eyed the beige leather couch in front of the fitting room hungrily.

The trio sat and watched, pleasantly entertained as the red head tried on dress after dress for the better part of an hour. Fang had gotten a good laugh out of the dresses the worker had suggested Vanille try on. They either looked like many albino dagonites had to be stripped of their feathers for its production or made Vanille look like an achromatic triffid.

"How about you let Vanille pick out her own dresses now, yeah? She's gonna marry hope, not mop his floor with her gown."

Vanille sent her sister a grateful look and ran back into the fitting room.

"No wonder they're trying to get us to purchase these, no one in their right mind would. I mean seriously, who _designs_ these? What's wrong with a traditional sari?"

Fang pouted when Vanille's voice echoed through the fitting room curtains.

"I am _not_ wearing a sari, Fang."

"And why not? Come to think of it, I haven't seen you wear one since the days at the orphanage."

"Because I don't look good in them and I want to wear a wedding gown! Serah was really beautiful in hers."

Fang flinched when Serah leapt on her feet and bounced in delight.

"Vanille, that's a great idea! You can wear my dress! We could get it resized and have any changes you want made to it."

Vanille shoved a fraction of the curtain aside and poked her head out of the opening.

"Really? Oh, but I can't Serah, it's _your_ dress."

"I would be happy to give it to you Vanille, and besides I'm never going to wear it again."

Lightning smiled as Vanille joyfully agreed. It was hard to forget that Serah and Vanille had met each other long before she had met Fang, as if the two were destined to become the best of friends. The two got along well – _too_ well if you ask Lightning. Unbeknownst to most people, her sister was quite mischievous and add Vanille as her mayhemic counterpart and the duo would wreak havoc upon poor souls everywhere – the poor souls specifically being Lightning and Fang. Things never ended well for the older couple when the other two collaborated, they loved their sisters too much to not let them have their way.

"Now that we have Vanille's dress handled, we can start looking at the bridesmaid dresses!"

Vanille giggled at the horrified looks she received from the pair on the couch.

"Relax, I promise I'll let you pick whatever you want, so long as they're in this boutique and _in the women's section_." She added pointedly while glaring at Fang.

"I'll wear whatever Serah picks." Lightning trusted her sister not to choose something too disconcerting and she would rather save herself the trouble of actually shopping, sensing Fang felt the same.

"You two are impossible. Come on, Vanille." Serah huffed indignantly and marched toward the colourful dresses, dragging the chuckling bride with her.

"What if they choose something ridiculous, Light?" Fang shuffled and rested her head on Lightning's lap, leaving her feet to dangle over the arms of the sofa.

"Serah has to wear it too so I don't think they will." Lightning subconsciously ran her fingers through Fang's scraggly hair. It was a good thing Lebreau was unable to join them in their dress shopping adventure, otherwise they may have ended up looking like Frag Leeches during mating season.

The pair sat in comfortable silence and listened as their sisters criticized and complimented various dresses. Fang had drifted off to sleep by the time Serah came back with a potential dress. It was a simple satin strapless that flowed loosely down to knee level and it was also a royal blue that almost matched Fang's sari.

Lightning hummed her approval. There were no unnecessary ornaments, overly elaborate laces or excess materials she could step on.

"That should do, right Fang?" She nudged her sleeping girlfriend who startled awake after receiving a jab to her ribcage.

"Hmm, what?" Fang propped herself up on her elbows and disorientedly looked around. She yelped at the sight of the blue dress in Serah's arms. "What did you do to my sari?!"

"Yup, this should do," Serah chuckled as Fang grinned sheepishly. "Now go try this on."

Lightning sighed and reached for the dress with one hand and her girlfriend with the other.

"Uhm, there's only one change room, sis."

"Just saving some time, Lil Pink." Fang laughed at the flushed look on Serah's face as she disappeared behind the curtain with Lightning.

* * *

Lightning set aside her paperwork in her home office when the sound of familiar footsteps echoed through the house. Fang had ditched her as well as Serah and Vanille at the bridal boutique after receiving a call from Lebreau. She trusted Fang not to do anything too absurd but worry was always an option when the bartender was involved.

Fang strolled into their office and sat in her own chair opposite Lightning's with a smug smile on her face. It unnerved the other woman whenever the huntress was silent.

"Faaang… what did you do?"

"Oh nothing much, just thought I'd grab my girlfriend a little something while I was out."

Lightning quirked an eyebrow when Fang gave no indication of continuing her explanation.

"What did you get me?" The soldier asked curiously. Fang was never one for materialistic gifts. No, the _gifts_ Lightning would receive from the Pulsian often came in the form of something more… _physical_ – excluding the provocative lingerie that would spontaneously appear in her drawers from time to time.

"You'll get it when you get it." The huntress chuckled and left the room, leaving Lightning to wonder if her girlfriend had finally crossed the border into the realm of insanity.

Lightning quietly left the office and followed after the snickering Pulsian, tackling her when the other woman reached the bed. The two wrestled playfully until Lightning ended up on top, straddling the other woman's hips.

"What did you get me?"

"I've hidden it somewhere on my body so you're gonna have to look for it, Sunshine." Fang's heart raced as Lightning's expression became almost predatory.

The younger woman groaned as Lightning's lips met hers in a flash and left just as quickly in favour of her ear. Fang shuddered as Lightning breathed her name between grazing nibbles on her ear and neck. She felt hands creep under her tank top and massage its way up to her chest, pausing only to remove the obstructive article of clothing. The soldier planted a trail of soft kisses down the toned abdomen beneath her and paused once she felt a cold metal object touch her lips.

"It reminds me of you, Claire."

Lightning didn't know what to say. She took the navel ring between her fingers and gave a soft tug.

"Ouch, still fresh sweetheart." Fang shifted uncomfortably under the scrutinizing eyes of her girlfriend.

"Oh, sorry." Upon closer examination, Lightning realized that there was a small silver lightning bolt hanging off of the lower metal ball. "Fang, you got a piercing because it reminded you of me?"

Fang hesitated. She didn't know what to make of Lightning's tone. Her girlfriend often used that tone when she did something really stupid, like the time she had bought five tubs of ice cream because they were on sale before checking the expiry date, but often also in terms of endearment.

"Yes?" She laughed nervously.

"… Well that's very sweet of you. I've had mine for a while, was there anything with fangs on it that would remind me of you?" Lightning joked. She let out an uncharacteristic yelp as Fang shifted her weight and reversed their positions.

"Anything you want fangs on, you've got it."

Lightning gulped as Fang disappeared underneath their blanket. The last thought she had before Fang took her to her high was that she should hang around Lebreau more often.


	7. The Wedding

There were many things Lightning was used to seeing upon waking up from a good night's sleep, such as the smell of cooking breakfast, the quiet laughter and chatter of Serah and Vanille who had taken to breaking into her home to cook said breakfast every Saturday morning, and a certain wild haired huntress fast asleep with a serene smile on her face.

That morning however, Lightning was not blessed with the usual. There was no smell of bacon and eggs to remind her that she was hungry, the lack of chatter from her sisters was almost disturbing, and the look Fang was giving her was anything but serene.

Lightning yawned fulfillingly and startled as she registered the figure sitting ramrod straight on the other side of the bed. In the two years that Lightning shared a bed with Fang, not once - with the exception of her birthday where Fang chose to use more unconventional methods to wake her - has she ever woken up later than the huntress. It confounded Lightning to no end when she was not greeted with the usual _mornin', Sunshine!_ kiss and grin. Fang was, for the most part, unresponsive and Lightning didn't know what to say or do. Fang saved her the trouble of finding the right words to say and spoke first.

"This is it. Today's the day I lose her." Lightning mentally flinched at Fang's voice. It had none of the usual calming effect that she often attributed with her girlfriend's rather sexy accent, it had sounded... hollow. It reminded Lightning of the months following Fang and Vanille's stasis seven years prior when she refused to speak with anyone for fear of breaking into tears, but on the rare occurrences where Serah managed to provoke a few words out of her, she would even scare herself with how lifeless she sounded.

It took Lightning a few seconds to register what Fang had meant but then she remembered. It was Vanille's wedding day. Of the many reasons Lightning considered Fang her equal, her love for her younger sibling was what first earned the Pulsian her respect during their l'Cie days. Her heart ached for the other woman. She remembered the feeling of despair pooling in her stomach the day of Serah's wedding and wouldn't wish that on any other being, especially Fang. Lightning leaned over and wrapped her arms around the dejected woman.

"Fang, you're not losing her - or anybody for that matter." Lighting said softly. Fang turned and looked at her with pain filled eyes.

"She's marrying Hope. She doesn't need me anymore." Some emotion had returned to her voice but it was filled with such insurmountable sorrow that Lightning preferred it hollow.

"Yes she's marrying Hope, but how is that any different from them dating now? They already live and do other marital... _things_ together," Fang cringed at the mention of her younger sister's sexual activities. "It won't be any different after they're married, Fang." Lightning made a mental note to thank Lebreau for giving her the same speech when Serah got married, and gave herself a mental pat on the back for remembering it but Fang didn't seem convinced.

"Do you remember how against the idea of Serah marrying Snow I was?" Lightning asked. Fang chuckled half heartedly.

"Who doesn't? I almost felt bad for the oaf," Fang gave a sad smile. "But I knew how much Serah meant to you, so it was understandable."

"Right. And how is my relationship with Serah now?"

"It's... better." Lightning nodded.

"I let her marry Snow and start a new life, a life I was afraid I wouldn't get to be a part of but that wasn't the case. She did start a new life, but she wanted me to be as much a part of it as Snow. Hope fought as hard to get you out of that pillar as he did for Vanille and they would never settle for a life without you in it, Fang." Lightning turned Fang's face so that her azure eyes met Fang's emeralds.

"Listen, you're not alone anymore. You have a new family now. We stick together, you hear me?" Lightning smiled as life returned to Fang's eyes. "And besides, if Vanille's too busy with Hope to bother us then we have more time to do other... things."

"Sexy things?" Fang asked hopefully. Lightning nodded and leaned in close enough so their lips were almost touching.

"Yes, Fang, _sexy_ things." She breathed.

Any distance left between them was immediately bridged when Fang met Lightning's lips with her own.

Lightning didn't know when or how Fang positioned herself on top but didn't complain when Fang's knee parted her legs and rubbed against her. She felt Fang grin into their kiss and a moan escaped her lips, followed by a gasp as the other woman covertly snaked a hand under her shirt. Her neglected sex was starting to ache as the huntress continued to toy with her.

Lightning untangled her hands from Fang's hair and latched them onto the collar of the woman's shirt, breaking their kiss with a light shove.

"Get on with it." She growled.

Fang chuckled as broke the soldier's grip on her shirt and pinned the offending limbs on either side of the scowling pink head of hair beneath her.

"As you command, Your Pinkness."

Lightning's scowl at the nickname was replaced by an expression of bliss soon after Fang disappeared underneath the covers. She could feel herself nearing euphoria with every move Fang made, as if she were an elaborate instrument and Fang the skilled musician who knew how to hit all the notes perfectly. Her breathing and heart rate quickened and she soon reached the height of their symphony but Fang kept on going before she could recover, adding her tongue into the fray. Lightning's mind reeled as Fang brought her to the peak of her arousal a second time.

Fang felt the soldier stiffen and a hand was pressed against her head in addition to the legs on either side of her, keeping her in place. She didn't dare move until she felt the familiar body underneath her go limp.

Lightning opened her eyes as she recovered from the double orgasm Fang had given her to see the very woman smiling smugly back at her. The Pulsian tempress took advantage of her moment of weakness and helped herself to the nook of Lightning's neck. Lightning smirked. Opportunist.

"I should win an award for most sexy things ever done to another human being, eh Sunshine?" Fang managed between kisses.

"I don't know Fang, you've got some pretty tough competition." The kissing against her jaw line stopped and Fang pulled back to give her a questioning look.

"Oh? And who might that be?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, knowing full well where the situation was headed.

Lightning smirked at her girlfriend`s failed attempt to hide her surprise when their positions were reversed.

"Me."

* * *

Lightning scowled at her hair stylist in the mirror who was eyeing Fang suggestively who was scowling at Vanille who was scowling right back at the both of them for being late. Literally everybody in the room was scowling although for different reasons, Serah, Lebreau and the stylists included. It was like a scowling competition and everyone was content about coming out the winner. Lightning was scowling because she had a disliking to strangers ogling her girlfriend so obviously in broad daylight.

Fang had absolutely refused to let anyone touch her hair and so she sat in the waiting area returning Vanille's glare with one of her own. She had given the red head an ultimatum; either she wears her hair up or she wears the bridesmaid dress, one or the other. Although Vanille would prefer Fang at least brush her hair, she would prefer it even more if Fang didn't wear a sari to her wedding so she didn't have a choice but to let the stubborn huntress have her way. She wasn't going to make it pleasant though, hence she partook in the scowling war.

Serah was angry because her sister and Fang had - naturally - shown up late with the reason for their tardiness evident on Lightning's neck in the form of a large purple hickey. Just once she would like the two to make an appearance to one of her plans without screwing each other senseless just minutes before.

Although Lebreau was more amused at the bad energy around her, she too was upset but for a reason Lightning had dismissed as illigitimate. Apparently the bridesmaid dress they had chosen in her absence did not show enough cleavage. Although her complaints went unheard, she made sure they did not go unseen and so, she too joined in on the scowling festivities.

After two hours and plenty of hair pulling to last a lifetime, everyone's hair was wedding ready - give or take Fang's wild tresses. Lightning wore her hair in a tastefully messy bun whereas Serah, Vanille and Lebreau kept theirs down.

"Two hours? I sat there for two hours just so you can pay to tie up Claire's hair, get rid of Vanille's pigtails and Serah's weird side ponytail and do... Lebreau did they even touch your hair?" Fang froze at the four pairs of eyes glaring at her and raised her hands defensively. "Because you guys look Etro-damned amazing!"

Lightning rolled her eyes, though a part of her did agree with Fang. Her idea of a wedding consisted of the two people getting married and a minister but Serah and Vanille opted for the whole package and being ones that have what Lebreau referred to as a "sister complex", they begrudgingly went along with the overly extravagant wedding itinerary. Their hair appointment was only the first event on the very long list of things to do and Fang was already in a bad mood. Lightning had been looking for opportunities to comfort the huntress but there wasn't much she could do with three pairs of prying eyes in the backseat of her car. She released one hand from the steering wheel and reached for the tan hand resting on her thigh. Fang came out of her daydream, surprised at the sudden contact, and gave her girlfriend what she hoped was a reassuring smile. _I'm okay._

Lightning gave Fang a small smile before turning her attention back to the road, never letting go of Fang's hand.

Serah and Vanille had both noticed the private exchange and shared a look. Other than Serah's marriage with Snow and Vanille's soon to be marriage with Hope, there was nothing that could make them happier than to see the older couple marry. The two were practically married, just not technically. They shared the same roof, bed, family and they even referred to each other as _my wife Lightning_ or _my wife Fang_ from time to time. They were inseparable and already married in the eyes of the public, so why they won't actually get married confused the rest of the family.

When Serah married Snow, Vanille and Fang were still in crystal sleep so Lightning attended the wedding alone. The Pulsians' absences had made the happy wedding the most depressing celebration she had ever attended. Not only did it remind her that she was giving away her little sister who had been her whole life up to the point where she met Fang, but that said older woman who saved her from her cold, lonely state was no longer with her, and might never be.

With the Pulsians finally back, Serah and Vanille set out to make Vanille's an extravagant one in their hopes of their older sisters enjoying themselves and wanting a wedding of their own but so far the day has barely started and Fang was already moody but Vanille noticed the grin on Lightning's face when Fang brought her hand up for a kiss. Their plan might just work afterall.

Lightning pulled into the parking lot of the local all day breakfast in New Oerba. Fang's mood hadn't improved and Lightning attributed part of it to hunger since the two had to skip breakfast or risk facing Vanille's wrath for missing the hair appointment. Lightning made a mental note to always factor in their morning _activities_ to their schedules seeing as they were always late in meeting with Serah or Vanille.

It was past lunch time so the place was nearly empty and quiet - just the way Lightning preferred it. She held Fang's hand under the table. The other woman was being disturbingly quiet and hadn't said a word all morning. Lightning didn't push for an answer; she knew what Fang was going through, only she didn't have the love of her life there to comfort her when she needed it most. But they were together now, and she would be there for Fang.

She noticed Fang staring in her peripheral.

"Is there something on my face?" She questioned.

"No, you look gorgeous" Fang smiled what she hoped to be reassuringly. "Your hair looks nice."

"Uhm, thanks?" She was slightly taken aback by Fang's sudden shyness.

"Not that it doesn't always look nice, because it does! It's just that it's pretty today - more pretty! It's more pretty today, y'know 'cause it's always pretty, just today its... more... pretty..." Fang looked horrified at what just spilled out of her mouth. Lightning laughed until her stomach hurt, earning aghast looks from her companions. She knew there was more to her girlfriend than the outgoing, charming, flirtatious warrior but in all their years together, she was never faced with the shy teenage girl side of Fang before. In fact, she didn't even know it existed and it was quite hilarious. The group ate their lunch in awkward silence and even Lebreau wisely kept her comments to herself. Lightning was right about one thing though, Fang was certainly in a less bitter mood after having food in her system.

They were halfway to the base of the crystal pillar holding Cocoon up - now considered a monument in honour of the former l'Cie - when Lightning received a phone call from Hope. She had let Fang drive the rest of the way – even in her crestfallen stupor – in hopes that it would take the Pulsian's mind off of things. Unfortunately, the only thing the task took Fang's mind off of was the road. Lightning cried out for the sixth time in the last half hour and gripped the steering wheel, returning her beloved vehicle to the proper lane. She gave Fang another icy glare before turning her attention to Hope.

"We're fine Hope, we're on our way."

The rest of the conversation went uninterrupted by Fang's abhorrent driving.

"Vanille, that was Hope. Everyone else is there already except for... Sazh. He was coming back from a flight when he had to perform an emergency landing. He should be able to make the reception but he'll have to miss the ceremony." Lightning bit her lip. She knew how much of a father figure Sazh was to Vanille.

"Oh Etro, is he okay?" Vanille was a lot more worried than disappointed.

"He's fine Vanille, he had to wait a few hours for help but he's on his way."

"Is he still bringing his guest?" Vanille asked hopefully. Sazh had RSVP'd for a guest and no one knew who this particular person was. It couldn't have been Dajh since the little guy received an invitation of his own. Vanille had been pushing the afro haired man to get back on the dating horse for the past two years and was dying to meet the person he was bringing to her wedding. She was thoroughly convinced that Sazh was dating this person.

"I think so." Lightning smiled as Vanille let relief wash over her. She had to admit she was just as curious as the rest of them. Whoever this mystery person was, she had better be good to Sazh and Dajh.

Fang sloppily pulled into the makeshift parking lot at the venue and Lightning had an immutable urge to re-park the car. If Fang's driving had been abhorrent, she didn't have a word to describe the woman's parking job.

There was a fairly large tent set up as a preparation area and an even larger tent for the reception as well as an altar. The place was crowded and most of the chairs had already been filled but Lightning wasn't surprised. Hope had invited most of his colleagues at the Guardian Corps and Vanille was friendly with just about everybody in town.

"I should fall to my knees and kiss the ground because I was sure we were going to die." Serah laughed.

"Ha ha very funny, Pinky. Don't you girls have a dress to put on?" Four pairs of skeptical eyes landed on Fang.

"Don't you mean_ we_ have dresses to put on? Nice try, Fang, now come along." Lebreau grabbed the protesting Pulsian and disappeared into the smaller tent with Serah following behind.

"Vanille, don't worry about Fang alright? I was the same at Serah's wedding, but I didn't want Serah to break it off with Snow because I was a little upset. I'm here for her – we all are, okay? Nothing will change, except for the fact that you and Hope will be married." Lightning gave Vanille a genuine smile.

"Thanks, Light." Vanille latched her arms around Lightning and squeezed. The soldier squeaked. For such a frail looking girl, her strength was not something to overlook.

"Now let's get you in that dress." Lightning led Vanille to the small tent where the others were, making no attempt to break the hug.

"You mean _us._ Nice try, Light."

"It was worth a shot."

* * *

Lightning, try as she may, could not keep her eyes from tearing up as the music played and Vanille appeared in a highly modified version of Serah's wedding gown. Fang accompanied her as she walked down the makeshift aisle, hesitant to hand her over to Hope as they reached the silver haired young man. Fang did not let go until Lightning took her hands and led her to the side, earning them a few sympathetic looks from the audience.

The huntress stiffened when the officiant – who just so happened to be Captain Amodar – began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Sergeant Hope Estheim and Oerba Dia Vanille, two great heroes who fell deeply in love. What is love exactly? Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous. Love does not brag, is not arrogant and does not act unbecomingly. It does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, and does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails." Amodar turned to hope. "Sergeant Hope Estheim, will you take Oerba Dia Vanille to be your lawful wedded wife and better half? Will you love, comfort, honor and protect her, forsaking all others to be faithful to her, to have and to hold from this day on, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for all the days of your life until death do you apart?"

"I do." Hope said without hesitation. He smiled awkwardly as Vanille sniffled. Amodar nodded and turned to Vanille.

"Oerba Dia Vanille, will you take Hope Estheim, to be your lawful wedded husband and better half? Will you love, comfort, honor and protect him; forsaking all others to be faithful to him, to have and to hold from this day on, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for all the days of your life until death do you apart?"

"No, not until death do us apart; forever and always."

Hope beamed.

"You may now exchange your rings and vows as an outward symbol of your love."

Vanille went first, not trusting herself to not cry when Hope makes his vows. She didn't want to be a tearful mess when she presents her own vows.

"Hope," she looked down at their joined hands and back up to meet his light blue-green eyes. "When I couldn't see a future and I was afraid or when the future was clear and it hurt to see, I'd just close my eyes and lose myself in happier days. It's easy to lose sight of things in a world as wide as this one, but if you keep going you are sure to find what you are looking for sooner or later. It turns out I didn't have to keep going because what I was looking for, or rather _who_ I was looking for was with me all along. I no longer have to close my eyes and lose myself in happier days because every waking moment that I'm with you makes me happy. When it comes to home and family, we never keep either as close as we should but I promise not to make that mistake. I love you Hope."

Vanille slid the silver ring onto Hope's ring finger.

Lightning felt Fang's grip loosen. The huntress was grinning for the first time that day which elicited matching grin from the soldier. Vanille's speech was beautiful and she couldn't wait to hear what Hope had to say.

"Vanille, when you and Fang sacrificed yourselves to save Cocoon seven years ago, I was devastated. I never told you how I felt because I was still just a kid. I never thought I would regret not taking the chance until the day you were gone. It was true what I said back then, about how you smiling makes me happy. Every day you were gone, there wasn't a single moment where I wasn't thinking about you, waiting for a miracle to happen. I wished you and Fang would come back to us and you finally did. To be honest, I still couldn't bring myself to tell you but Lightning once told me that there is no such thing as can or can't, there are some things in life you just do. I love you Vanille, and I promise to never let you go."

Vanille could vaguely make out a diamond studded ring on her finger that hadn't been there seconds before through the happy tears.

"Until now Oerba Dia Vanille and Hope Estheim have spent each moment of their lives as separate individuals, but from this day on, and every day after this, their lives shall be shared and spent as one. By the power enthroned in me, by the city of New Oerba, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."

The crowd erupted into cheers as Hope and Vanille shared a longer and more passionate than appropriate kiss. The couple blushed as Gadot's wolf whistle was heard above the silencing crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Oerba Dia Estheim Vanille and Hope Dia Estheim!"

Once again the crowd erupted and moved in to congratulate the newlywed couple. As the mass of people made their way toward the larger tent for the reception, Lightning and Fang finally found some time alone.

"They exchanged really beautiful words, didn't they Fang?" Lightning started gently.

"Yeah." Fang said flatly. Lightning was confused. She was watching Fang the whole time Hope and Vanille exchanged their vows and the huntress appeared to be genuinely happy for the younger couple.

"Is something still bothering you?"

Fang opened her mouth to say something but hesitated and then decided against it. They both knew their family's confusion about their relationship. In their eyes, they were already married, just not officially. They both felt that their love was true and pure. Should problems in their relationship arise, their love would be enough to overcome anything that stood between them. They didn't need legal obligations to be together. If they could overcome adversity without the threat of having to split their fortune as a driving force then their relationship would prove to be a lot more than just a marriage. Fang still believed this to be true, however seeing Hope and Vanille at the altar exchanging vows, rings and kisses made her realize that she wanted the same experience for her and Lightning. Her views on marriage didn't change but the ceremony proved to be very symbolic. Was she a terrible "wife" for denying Lightning this? Did Lightning even want this for herself?

"No, I'm fine. I think Serah's calling us."

Lightning craned her neck and sure enough their names were being called by voices she recognized as belonging to the NORA crew and Serah.

"I think the speeches are starting." Lightning sighed and led Fang to their table where the bride and groom and the rest of their family – excluding Sazh and Dajh – was seated. Fang chuckled as the pink haired soldier beside her paled. She knew Lightning hated public speaking but was forced into delivering a speech.

"Fang, I don't feel so good." Lightning looked at her with pleading eyes and she couldn't help but laugh.

_Yup, weddings aren't so bad after all._

* * *

**AN: I have never been married before and the only weddings I've ever attended were when I was still in diapers so forgive me if this was not entirely accurate (I had to do some research but nothing beats personal experience no?). The modified passage about love that Amodar was reading was actually from the Christian bible (Corinthians 13:4-7,13). I actually had no idea it was from the bible, just that I've heard it repeatedly over the years and one day my friend read me that passage (it's her favourite passage) and asked me where I've heard it before. Also, I'm not exactly an expert on wedding vows so I went through some quotes from the game.**

**Opportunist: A term I incorporated because I just earned the trophy in Tomb Raider before writing that scene. Hoorah.**

**I never intended for Light and Fang to get married because for some reason I don't see them doing it but it would be a fun thing to write.**


	8. The Wedding II

The crowd waited eagerly in silent anticipation as their beloved Commander Farron climbed the small stage to deliver her speech to the newlywed couple. She had invited Fang up with her – the Pulsian was to deliver a speech right after – but the darned woman insisted she have everyone's undivided attention, and that meant the stage to herself. Lightning scanned the large crowd and swallowed nervously. She was not used to addressing large audiences – her line of work required her to either bark orders at her squad or report to one or two commanding officers privately.

"Hi." Lightning started. The crowd joined together in a chorus of _hi Commander Farron_ and she tried to stifle a laugh. Over the years spent with Fang, her exigencies for formalities have lessened noticeably. Although she would go by Commander Farron to unacquainted strangers and during formal affairs, she insisted people just refer to her as Lightning, though her colleagues occasionally would jokingly salute her by the former – a friendly reminder of the long way she had come since her darker days. Her nervous laugh earned her a few chuckles from the audience. Her heart rate slowed to a healthier rate and she continued her speech. _Here goes._ "I can't say I'm surprised that Hope grew to be such a lovely young man, one befitting for a wonderful young woman such as Vanille. I also can't say I never saw this marriage coming, all those secret glances at each other when they thought no one was looking, late night talks and midday strolls." Lightning winked at the red faced couple. "Vanille is a sister to me, and Hope a brother, and there are very few things that make me as happy as seeing them share a life together."

"Hypocrite," Serah coughed. The audience boomed with laughter and Lightning shook her head with a smile, grateful for the touch of humour added to her dull speech. She gave Snow a sheepish grin, knowing Serah was referring to her colder than usual behaviour reserved for him so many years ago. Though she had yet to admit it out loud, Snow had grown on her ever since he married Serah. He was still the loud and boisterous man they all knew and loved, but there was a seriousness to him that was never there before The Fall. Snow gave her a small wink and she felt a stab of guilt. She wasn't exactly the friendliest and approachable person at his wedding – she refused to take part in half of the festivities – but Snow never held it against her. He was understanding and dependable and that had earned him Lightning's respect. Putting her past behind her, Lightning turned to address her silver haired subordinate.

"Now Hope, be good to Vanille because Fang's not the only person you'll have to answer to," she gave Hope a mock stern look. "And Vanille, your husband is _not_ your personal guinea pig so keep your experimental potions to yourself."

The Dia gave her husband a cheeky grin. "I can try."

With nothing left to say, Lightning raised her glass of champagne. "To Hope and Vanille."

As the crowd echoed her words and cheered, Lightning exchanged positions with Fang. The Pulsian gave her a smile as she passed – a smile Lightning knew all too well. Fang was planning something, and that was never good. Fang sauntered her way up the stage with the microphone and Lightning caught herself staring. For someone who was so against wearing a dress, she sure could present herself in one. The blue satin dress was form fitting, accentuating certain parts that Lightning wished Fang did not move as much when she walked, else she would have to break her promise of not ravishing Fang senseless in a tent that day. Lightning smiled as Fang enthusiastically greeted the crowd. It was definitely a step up from her attitude just hours before.

"Hey, in case y'all have been living under rocks these past few years, I'm Fang!" She waved to the crowd and received equally ardent greetings in return. "I'm Vanille's big sister by everything but blood and now I guess I'm Hope's big sister too. Back in Oerba, long before you kiddies roamed the lands of Gran Pulse, it was tradition for the village elder to write a ballad and sing it to the new mates," she wagged her eyebrows at Vanille who giggled. "But, seeing as how y'all don't speak Pulsian and the times have long gone, I came up with something a bit more modern. Now, who likes rap music?"

Lightning swore her jaw hit the table. Indeed rap music composed a huge portion of Cocoon's music industry but it wasn't something she was a fan of. Fang, on the other hand, took a liking to the genre, claiming it reminded her of ancient Pulsian chants. She had heard Fang hum a few traditional songs here and there around their house but never actually sing, let alone _rap_. She looked to Vanille for reassurance that this was not going to be a total disaster but the fearful look she received from the redhead did little to calm her. _Oh dear sweet Etro…_

"Ahem. Testing, testing." Fang tapped the microphone as if it hadn't been working the whole time she was talking. Lightning had to chuckle, her girlfriend was quite the talented entertainer. "Can I get a beat?"

If Lightning's jaw hit the table before, it was certainly on the ground now. The crowd went ballistic when Snow stood and imitated the rhythms of rap music. She turned to Serah this time for answers but wasn't sure who looked more horrified – her sister or Vanille. Had Fang and the oaf been planning this in secret or did the Pulsian have something on the poor man? Before Lightning could regret not pulling the woman off the stage, Fang began her "song".

_Now listen up 'Nille, 'cause dis is da real deal_…

Lightning wasn't sure exactly when she ended up on stage trying to pry the microphone out of the huntress' hands but if she had to guess, it was sometime between Fang rhyming "_Vanille I'm gonna miss ya" _with _"banging Serah's sista"_ and _"marrying Hope" _with _"glad you didn't elope"_. Oddly enough, everyone was having the time of their lives. The crowd was red faced from laughing and even Fang didn't seem to mind the chokehold Lightning had her in as she doubled over with laughter. Lightning realized how ridiculous she must have looked, microphone held as far away from Fang as possible in one hand, and a guffawing Pulsian in the other. She had a feeling it had been Fang's plan all along for her to come up on stage and make a spectacle of herself. She smiled. _Now that's the Fang I know and love…_

The crowd settled as soft music resonated off the walls of the tent, signalling the first dance for the bride and groom. Lightning felt familiar hands entwine with hers as she watched Vanille and Hope sway gently on the level platform.

"You okay?" she asked the silent huntress.

"You know what I just realized?" Fang turned to face Lightning with mirth filled eyes and Lightning found herself lost in the emeralds. She shook her head nervously, wondering what crazy emotional words Fang would spout this time. "You know how all I've ever wanted for Vanille is for her to be happy?"

Lightning nodded in agreement. "We all do, Fang. What about it?"

"Well, get this Sunshine," she shook Lightning's shoulders excitedly. "If they love one another as much as we do, they should be pretty happy right?"

Lightning pried Fang's hands off her shoulders before Fang shook her into oblivion. The Pulsian's emotions must have been in chaotic disarray if such a fact was not immediately obvious since the beginning.

"Yes Fang, they're _happy_" Lightning said sternly but lovingly. Fang was a stubborn woman and Lightning had to be strict if she wanted to get through to the huntress.

"Just like us?" Lightning's heart skipped a beat when Fang gave her a frightened look – almost as if she expected Lightning to say no. All it would take for her to break the other woman's heart and render her vulnerable was a simple two letter word and it scared her. She would never want to hurt Fang like that, nor did she want the power to. Lightning leaned in and planted a kiss on the other woman's forehead.

"Just. Like. Us." Any trace of fear immediately vanished from the huntress' statuesque features and was replaced by a radiant grin. It was the kind of grin that could stop an army dead in its tracks and Lightning felt like a gorgonopsid caught in headlights. "You know if you smile any wider your lips just might touch your ears" she chuckled at her girlfriend's puppy like nature. Fang had such a beautiful smile that Lightning found it difficult not to reciprocate. The Pulsian's smooth, full lips were as alluring as every other feature that belonged to her, if only Lightning could just lean in and press her own lips against those divine, succulent…

"Ahem."

Lightning flinched and turned toward the owner of the squeaky voice that had managed to sneak up behind her during her little slip up, and reflexively shoved Fang away.

"Damn it woman, you know Vanille knows we're together right?!" Fang rolled her shoulders to check for any damage and muttered something under her breath about domestic violence.

"Sorry, I was… distracted." Lightning's face coloured as Fang tried to make eye contact with her. Even after so many years together, Fang still had that effect on Lightning. She couldn't look at the darn woman for more than a few seconds before her mind began to wander… elsewhere. After all, who wouldn't want a taste of such magical lips, especially when they would travel down to – _get a grip, Lightning!_

Fang knew exactly what Lightning was thinking. It was obvious in her red face, dilated pupils and quickened breathing. "You were coveting my lips" she stated in a matter of fact manner.

Lightning huffed and crossed her arms. "Admiring maybe, but not coveting."

_AHEM!_ Vanille shoved her nervous husband toward her sister and extended a hand to Lightning. "If you two could stop having eye sex long enough for Hope and I to get a dance in, that'd be great."

Lightning chuckled as she took Vanille's outstretched hand and led her to an empty corner where the music wasn't too loud. She trusted Fang wouldn't kill Hope – not yet anyway. Lightning was overcome with pride as she danced with the shorter girl. Vanille has changed quite a bit since their journey – they all have – and knowing that she was partly responsible for the younger girl's upbringing eased the guilt she felt for not playing a similar role for Serah. Admittedly, Vanille had grown on her even faster than Fang had, partly due to that fact that Vanille didn't enjoy teasing her as much as the huntress did. She was a lot like Serah, although less… reserved. Unknown to Fang, when Vanille moved out to live with Hope, Lightning made her promise to come over at least once a week. Her home was less lively without the younger Pulsian around.

"We were not having eye sex" she huffed as caught the redhead after a spin.

"Oh please, one second later and you two would have been naked and doing it under the table. Now dip me."

Lightning rolled her eyes but let Vanille have her way with the teasing. After all, it wasn't as if Vanille never caught them – as she so blatantly called it – _bumping uglies_ underneath a table before. Who said a dinner couldn't be sexy?

The two enjoyed the rest of the song together before Vanille ran off to rescue Hope from her adoptive sister. Lightning felt a twinge of sadness as Vanille slipped away into the crowd in search of her husband and shook her head in attempt to get rid of her unhappy thoughts. _I'm beginning to think like Fang…_

Light blue eyes scanned the crowd in search of a wild haired huntress and finally found its target at the open bar. _Of course_. She noticed a small crowd begin to form around Fang and the Pulsian didn't look too happy. Angry shouts could be heard above the muffled chatter of the crowd and Lightning broke into a light jog – running wasn't an option in her heels. She spied a head of silver hair fighting desperately against the crowd to reach the turmoil's epicenter. _Okay, so she's not yelling at Hope… that's a good sign, right?_

People moved aside as she approached and she was able to see the cause of the commotion. She brushed past her scowling lover and gave the old man a hug.

"Glad you finally made it." Lightning ruffled young Dajh's hair as he wrapped his arms around her torso. She noticed her whole family was present at the bar and none seemed too pleased about Sazh's arrival.

"Well at least someone's glad to see me." Sazh shot the scowling huntress an icy glare. _What's going on?_

"Oh I'm glad to see _you_ old man, I'm just not the least bit happy to see _her!_" Lightning followed Fang's angry glare to the blonde figure standing slightly off to the side. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She could recognize those green eyes everywhere. The last time she saw them, they were as lifeless as the spectacles that framed them. Before she could utter some form of protest, the ex-PSICOM soldier stepped forward and offered a hand.

"Jihl Nabaat – ex. Lieutenant Colonel of Sanctum's PSICOM division, pleased to meet you." Jihl smiled warmly.

"I know who you are," Lightning spat, ignoring the offered hand. "You're supposed to be dead, remember? Your beloved Primarch fired you – or rather _at _you I should say. What are you doing here? Explain yourself!"

Sazh ambled over and took Jihl's outstretched hand, returning it to her side. "We would if y'all would just give us the chance to!" He sighed and stepped forward protectively. "I was on Cocoon for a routine pickup when a group of PSICOM stragglers ambushed my plane. She saved us. Without her Dajh would've… he wouldn't be…"

Lightning's expression softened as Sazh broke into sobs. She turned to the young boy at Jihl's side as the rest of her family – excluding Fang – comforted his father.

"Dajh?"

The mini Katzroy took a breath and ambled forward. "Auntie Lightning and Auntie Fang, I know you think Jihl is a bad guy but she was actually really nice to me. She took care of me and even let me see the fireworks and the chocobos!" Fang was hearing none of it.

"This woman wasn't taking care of you kid, she was keeping you prisoner! She tried to get your old man to shoot Vanille, heck she tried to kill us all!" Fang turned to address the afro'd man. "You've really gone senile if you think we would let this Sanctum dog waltz right into our town and not do anything about it!"

"Fang!" Lightning grabbed her lover's tanned arm to keep her from launching herself at Nabaat. Though she shared Fang's opinion that Jihl was not to be trusted, calling their father figure senile was hardly appropriate, no matter how chaotic the situation.

"She was just doing her job! Auntie Lightning would have done the same if Auntie Serah wasn't a l'Cie!" Fang froze. Dajh had a point. If Lightning hadn't gone after Serah and become branded by Anima, they would likely have faced each other on the battlefield, and only one would come out alive.

Lightning remained quiet, but Fang wasn't going to give in just yet. This woman had caused Vanille so much pain…

"I am no longer – as you said – a Sanctum dog. Barthandelus is no more, PSICOM is no more, Rosch… is no more. Like many, I was raised to believe in the paradise we called home and the hell that was Pulse down below. I was not any different from you, or your _friend_." Nabaat gestured at Lightning who remained silent in Fang's arms. "Tell me, did you not believe that we were vipers, ready to strike your home at any second? When everything you were made to believe turns out to be one huge lie, what do you do? Is it not easier to continue believing the lie than to fight against everything you once stood for? My idiocy was realized when the old man shot me down but I believe the goddess gave me another chance at life, to make amends to the people whom I have caused so much pain." She stepped forward and placed her hands on Dajh's shoulders. "Do and say to me what you must, but I really do care for him."

"So you saved the old man and his son's life, how many lives have you taken in the process?" Fang scowled. There wasn't as much bite in her tone as she had hoped.

"Are your hands not also stained red with the blood of others?"

A long dreadful silence fell into place, made less awkward by the oblivious rowdy partiers. Any crowd member whose attention had been caught by Fang's angry shouts was immediately shooed away by Snow. Fang didn't know what to say. She no longer had a reason to hate the woman, but she couldn't exactly open her arms up wide and offer a hug. Surprisingly, Serah stepped forward and offered the woman a hand.

"Hi! I'm Serah, Lightning's sister. We've never met before but I've err… heard a lot about you from Snow's stories. I'm very pleased to meet you."

Snow followed his wife's lead and offered his hand next. "I'm her husband Snow. We've met before." Jihl blinked hesitantly before she accepted the couple's greetings.

"I remember you. The hero right? I could hear you screaming _'Serah'_ from the Palamecia" she laughed. It was a beautiful laugh, one that didn't scream _I'm going to beat you to death with my fencing baton_.

Lightning watched speechlessly as Vanille and Hope greeted Jihl next. The couple proceeded to show the woman around and insisted on introducing her to new friends, with Serah and Snow following closely behind. She vaguely remembered the huntress wrapped around her.

"Fang… what just happened?" _I'm not dreaming right? An ex-PSICOM baton lady did not just come back from the dead and attend Vanille's wedding as Sazh's _date _right? RIGHT?!_

"I'm not too sure myself Sunshine but if I had to guess… the usual. I'm gonna get us some drinks." Lightning nodded and fumbled for a seat as Fang's supporting hands left her body. The huntress soon returned with a tray full of various shots, muttering something about wanting a normal life.

"Ahem. I believe two beautiful ladies owe me a proper welcome back?" Sazh grinned as the couple embraced him.

"Sorry about that Sazh but you'd think that after spending so much time with ol' Barty she'd be turned off by, well, _old_. Unless she's into that kinda thing…" Fang laughed.

"Wait – wha? You think we're together? Like _together_ together?" Sazh raised his arms defensively, as if Lightning had her gunblade pointed at his face. "She's Dajh's _godmother_ and a good friend of mine, we're not together. Besides, she's… well _y'know_."

Fang and Sazh stared wide-eyed as Lightning choked on a shot and doubled over with laughter.

"I _knew_ it! No woman could spend _that_ much time with Yaag Rosch and still be straight!"

Fang rubbed Lightning's back as she tried to control her laughing fit. _Okay, enough shots for you Lightbug_…

"Is she single?" Fang froze when Lightning stilled beneath her. "Okay, that didn't come out right… hehe." She gave Lightning a quick peck on the forehead before a content smile appeared on Lightning's face and she went back to senseless giggling. "What I meant was, I know someone who might be perfect for Jihl." _A little _too_ perfect if ya ask me._

"Anyone I know?" Sazh looked around curiously. No one particularly struck him as a good match for Jihl Nabaat.

"Oh yeah." Fang caught the attention of the woman she was looking for and waved her over. "Lebreau, there's someone I want you to meet."

* * *

**AN: ****Did anyone catch the mini reference to a TV show?**


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